Against the rising agitation by various groups for a true fiscal federalism and the recent call by Northern Governors for a review of the derivation formula, the Edo Consultative Forum, rising from an emergency meeting in Lagos, has called on the National Assembly and the Federal Government to give the regions greater autonomy and space in the spirit of true federalism.
In a communiqué issued at the end of the meeting and made available to newsmen the forum’s Publicity/Media Director, Matthew Ebatamehi Aramunde, the body regretted that Nigeria’s chronic instability is sorely and mainly a consequence of its failing experiment in federalism.
The group faulted a situation where the creation of more states that is supposedly meant to bring governance to the grassroots, has unfortunately become an instrument that weakens the power of the federating units as the central government has practically subsumed the hitherto powers of the federating units.
The body blamed the military for claiming to be operating a federal structure, but implemented policies that encouraged Nigeria’s metamorphosis into a unitary state.
It said the military did this by not only donating power to the centre while weakening the constituent units, but also systematically abolishing the 50 per cent derivation formula that was arguably the hallmark of the First Republic.
Taking a swipe at some privileged Nigerians who fan the embers of ethnicity and see the country’s commonwealth as their birth right to plunder and a privileged right for themselves and their family members and those of their cronies and political associates, the group stressed that the unpatriotic acts of these element is another factor that is responsible for stagnation experienced by Nigeria.
It called on the President Goodluck Jonathan led-administration to take a cue from countries like Britain, South Africa and others who though are not as ethnically divisive as Nigeria but have as their benchmark a well operated federal system where federating units operate and enjoy a substantial degree of autonomy in fiscal and general monetary and economic matters.
To fully attain a true federalism, the body contends that the government should ensure equitable distribution of national wealth, work towards the abolition of the onshore and offshore dichotomy, encourage non-oil producing states to develop new revenue generating capacity in other sectors, especially agriculture and mining and work towards returning to the original 50 per cent derivation.