Connect with us

Business

Nigeria’s Restructuring, Not Negotiable – Clark

Published

8 years ago

on

An elder statesman in Nigeria and Ijaw leader, Chief Edwin Clark, has said that the restructuring of Nigeria’s economy to the old pattern where the revenue sharing formula was 50 per cent to the region and 50 per cent to the centre would not be negotiable in this present dispensation.
He said that time had come when states will retain 50 per cent of the revenue they generate, while the remaining 50 per cent should be given to the centre where the federal will receive 20 per cent, while the remaining 30 per cent will be shared among all the states.
Clark who disclosed this to aviation correspondents at the Port Harcourt International Airport, Omagwa, posited that non restructuring of Nigeria would destroy the country, just like non tackling or addressing the issue of corruption will kill Nigeria.
“Things are going chaotic in Nigeria. Former President, Obasanjo is deceiving Nigerians that we don’t need restructuring. That is not true, Nigeria is shaking.
“Nigeria was a federation between 1954 and 1956. At that time, the revenue sharing formula was 50 per cent to the region based on what that region produced, while 20 per cent was set aside for the federal and the remaining 30 per cent was shared among the regions and the centre.
“The postulation of Ango Abdulahi that the revenue from the north was used to build refineries to develop the south was not true. The amalgamation of the north and south in 1914 was due to the fact that the north was a liability and it was the south that had money.
“Former governor of Old Bendel State Ambrose Ali took Shagari to court to  resort to 50 per cent revenue to the region, which is now states and he won the case, as some other Southern governors like Okilo and Clement Isong joined him.
“Bayelsa State and Rivers State where the oil is produced does not have the number of local governments as Kano State alone that has 44 and all of them receive allocation from the federal.
“Everything is wrong in Nigeria. Between now and October, restructuring will start. You cannot hold election without restructuring.
“I am saying that we must restructure Nigeria, otherwise non-restructuring will kill Nigeria, just as Buhari said we will fight corruption or corruption will kill Nigeria.
“What is restructuring? Restructuring simply means; go back to the formula that we had in the First Republic where regions retained 50 per cent of what they produced”, Clark said.

Corlins Walter

Related Topics:
Continue Reading

Business

NPA Assures On Staff Welfare 

Published

1 week ago

on

June 27, 2025

By

The Managing Director, Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA), Dr. Abubakar Dantsoho, has said the management will continue to accompany its port infrastructure  and equipment  modernization drive  with the development of the welfare of its personnel.
Dantsoho made the disclosure recently while responding to the commendation by the Maritime Workers Union (MWUN) and the senior Staff Association of Statutory Corporations and Government-Owned Companies (SSASGOC) on the  clearing  of the age-long problem of employee stagnation, when the union paid him a courtesy visit at the Authority’s headquarters in Lagos.
A Statement by NPA’s General Manager Corporate & Strategic Communications, Mr. Ikechukwu Onyemekara, quoted Dantsoho as saying,  “our Port infrastructure and equipment modernization drive will go hand-in-hand with continuous staff welfare improvement”.
The NPA MD disclosed that human capital development constitutes the key strategy for creating and sustaining superior performance under his watch, adding that “talent development constitutes a critical success factor for the actualization of the big hairy audacious goals we have set for ourselves especially in the area of Port competitiveness.
“The only way we can meet and indeed exceed stakeholders’ expectations is to deepen the competencies of our human resources assets and boosting their morale.”
Speaking further, Dantsoho commended the Honourable Minister of Marine & Blue Economy, Adegboyega Oyetola, for approving the strategic proposal of the Dantsoho-led Management team that solved the over a decade-long problem of lack of promotion that had fuelled industrial disharmony.
“I must specially appreciate our amiable Minister for graciously approving the multi-pronged stratagem we deployed that cleared all outstanding cases of employee stagnation by conducting examinations in one fell swoop and instituted timelines to forestall a recurrence of such anomaly”, he sad.
Speaking on behalf of the joint maritime labour unions, the President  of Senior Staff Association of Statutory Corporations & Government-Owned Companies (SSASCGOC), Comrade Bodunde stated, “In addition to clearance of the backlog of stagnated promotions, we also wish to express our appreciation for the increase in productivity bonuses, provision of end-of-year welfare packages for staff, and the revision of the Financial Guide to the Condition of Service, which now addresses our members’ concerns about inflationary pressures.”
Nkpemenyie Mcdominic, Lagos
Continue Reading

Business

ANLCA Chieftain Emerges FELCBA’s VP

Published

1 week ago

on

June 27, 2025

By

National Secretary of the Association of Nigerian Licensed Customs Agents (ANLCA), Elder Olumide Fakanlu, has been elected Vice President of the Federation of ECOWAS Licensed Customs Brokers Association (FELCBA).
The election took place during the FELCBA Congress, held from Tuesday, June 17th to Thursday, June 19th, 2025, in Freetown, Sierra Leone.
Fakanlu’s emergence as Vice President marks a significant achievement for Nigeria within the regional customs brokerage community.
Apart from Fakanlu, Secretary of the Seme Chapter of ANLCA, Austin Nwosu, was also elected, securing the role of Secretary of Relations with Institutions.
The Nigerian delegation played an active role in the congress, with Michael Ebeatu nominated as a member of the electoral officer team, ensuring a fair and transparent election process.
The three-day congress concluded with delegates undertaking a visit to the Sierra Leone Port, offering insights into the host nation’s maritime operations, followed by a recreational trip to the Tokeh Beach.
The newly elected executives are expected to lead FELCBA in its efforts to harmonize customs brokerage practices, promote trade facilitation, and advocate for the interests of licensed customs brokers across the ECOWAS sub-region.
Nkpemenyie Mcdominic, Lagos
Continue Reading

Business

NSC, Police Boost Partnership On Port Enforcement 

Published

1 week ago

on

June 27, 2025

By

In a bid to enhance more enforcement in the nation’s Port, the Nigerian Shippers’ Council (NSC) has reaffirmed its commitment to stronger inter-agency collaboration with the Nigeria Police Force (NPF).
The Council said the collaboration is aimed at enhancing stronger enforcement, compliance and improve operational efficiency across Nigeria’s ports.
Executive Secretary/Chief Executive Officer of  NSC, Dr. Pius Akutah, made this known during a visit to the  Inspector-General of Police, Dr. Kayode Adeolu Egbetokun, at the Force Headquarters, Abuja.
The visit, which he said, focused on strengthening institutional synergy, comes in the wake of growing responsibilities for the NSC under the newly created Ministry of Marine and Blue Economy.
Akutah emphasized the critical role of security agencies in supporting port operations and ensuring regulatory compliance.
He called for the posting of police officers to assist the Council’s monitoring and enforcement teams at key port locations including Lagos, Warri, Onne, Port Harcourt, and Calabar.
“The posting will complement the activities of our revived task teams and enhance our ability to enforce standards across the maritime logistics chain”, he said.
Earlier, the Inspector-General of Police, Dr. Egbetokun, assured the Council of the Force’s readiness to continue supporting the growth of the maritime sector.
The IGP acknowledged that compliance enforcement is essential to the successful implementation of Nigeria’s Blue Economy objectives.
“The NSC and NPF are expected to deepen collaboration in the months ahead, with a shared focus on building a secure, efficient, and competitive port environment”, to the IGP emphasized.
Chinedu Wosu
Continue Reading

Trending