Group Charts Path To Resource Control

A non-governmental organisation, Elele Peace Initiative says Nigeria will experience rapid socio-economic development if federating states are allowed to control their resources.
President-General of the body, Comrade Chidi Wodah, who stated this during an interview with The Tide in Port Harcourt, last Thursday, said when states control their resources, it would enable them to look inward and diversify in areas that can develop their economy.
Wodah said a situation where states run cap in hand to Abuja to collect allocation from federal government before they could even pay staff salaries is not the best for the country.
He noted that various states in Nigeria have economic potentials that would engender rapid development but regretted that instead of looking inwards, most states look up to federal allocation.
The President-General commended the Rivers State Governor, Chief Nyesom Wike for putting smiles on the faces of civil servants in the state by paying last month salary when federal allocation had not yet been received.
He said the action of the governor shows the love he has for families who could have suffered untold hardship due to the inability of federal government to release allocations due the state in time.
“Assuming that resource control is adopted in the country, states would not need to hope on federal allocation to pay workers’ salaries.
“It shows that resource control is the real way to go in the country for some states to summon the courage to pay salaries from internally generated revenue.
“Rivers State has the capacity to pay staff salaries and develop rapidly if allowed to control her huge resources”, he said.
The group advised Buhari to resign as minister of Petroleum Resources to enable him concentrate fully as president of the country.
He said the FAAC statement was as a result of NNPC to release expected fund to the Federal Government adding that such development is an indication that all is not well with the ministry where Mr President supervises.

Chris Olouh