Akinyemi Tasks Govs On IGR

A former Minister of For eign Affairs, Prof. Bolaji Akinyemi, has advised state governors to deeply harness available state resources in order to increase their internally-generated revenue for economic development.

Akinyemi, who was on a private visit to Governor Theodore Orji of Abia, gave the advice in Umuahia on Wednesday in an interview with newsmen.

He said: “the distribution of allocation from Abuja has led to laziness on the part of government.’’  “I believe that if every state government digs in deeply, it will find sufficient resources within its territory to drive development,’’.

He remarked that every state in Nigeria was richly endowed with natural resources that could be harnessed for development.

Akinyemi also spoke extensively on the revenue sharing formula and the agitation for resource control by states in the Niger Delta Region.

“I believe in fiscal federalism but the agitation for 100 per cent resourse ownership cannot work. “What we need is a federation of prosperity and not one state of prosperity and a federation of penury; this cannot serve anybody any good.

“We cannot be an oasis of prosperity in a sea of adversity.’’

He called for the setting up of what he called “a developmental revenue purse’’, which could be deployed to drive development across the federation.

Akinyemi also called for “a greater sensibility in fashioning out an agreeable revenue formula, “such that every state will be given a sense of belonging in terms of resource allocation. ’’

He noted that the agitation for resource control would take the country back to the pre-1966 era.

Akinyemi said that the agitation lent credence to the call for a National Sovereign Conference by some notable Nigerians, including himself, where an acceptable allocation formula could be agreed upon.

The former minister, who was taken round to inspect ongoing projects in Umuahia, said that he was impressed with what he saw on ground.

He commended Orji for his vision to turn the ancient city of Umuahia into a modern city.

Some of the projects he inspected, included the Diagnostic/Dialysis Centre, International Conference Centre, state secretariat, new High Court Complex and new market sites, all at various stages of completion.