The Governor of Niger State, Dr. Muazu Babangida Aliyu, has said that state governments across the country are now struggling to survive financially as a result of low returns from the Federation Account.
Governor Aliyu, who is also the Chairman of the Northern States Governors Forum, said that for several months now, the allocation to the states had been on the downward trend, which has hampered developmental strides of the administrations.
Aliyu spoke in Minna, the Niger State capital, on Wednesday after inaugurating the Board of the Niger State Transport Authority, which has a former Secretary to the Niger State Government, Comrade Mohammed Adams Erena, as Chairman, and the Local Government Service Commission, with a retired Permanent Secretary, Peterson Kaura, as Chairman.
The governor specifically revealed that for the last allocation, the state lost well over N100 million, a trend he said has been on since the last part of last year.
The Minister of State for Finance, Alhaji Bashir Yuguda, while speaking at the Federation Accounts Allocation Committee meeting for July, blamed the decline in the amount that accrued to the Federation Account on bunkering and vandalization of oil pipelines in parts of the country.
Governor Aliyu, while emphasizing the need for state governments to look inwards for more revenue, said that as a result of the low income from the Federation Account, some states have not been able to pay salaries to their workers for upwards of 20 months, but added that his administration has remained committed to the payment of salaries and allowances to all category of workers.
“We are now left to think about how to fund development projects we have promised our people because of the shortfall in the money received from the Federation Account,” he said.
Aliyu said he decided to dissolve the former Local Sovernment Service Commission because of “infighting among the members” and expressed the hope that the new board will correct the situation and move the commission forward.
He said: “It is a very important Commission.
“It has to do with the promotion and training of officers.”
He added that government has been regularly giving money to the organization for it to perform its functions.
Governor Aliyu commended the management of the Niger State Transport Authority for giving good leadership to the institution, which has made its vehicles to remain on the roads despite charging lower rates when compared to other transport companies.
He disclosed that government will add 60 buses to the 157 already in the fleet of the organization and urged the new board to collaborate with the management for better results.
Each of the organization has two women in the managements.
The oath of office and allegiance was administered on the LGSC members by Chief Magistrate Hauwa Baba Yussuf.