Nigeria: 'FG Should Review Revenue-Sharing Formula'

This Day

28 March 2011

Nigeria: 'FG Should Review Revenue-Sharing Formula'

The only way to stop the agitation for creation of new local governments is for the Federal Government to desist from using the number of local governments in the states of the federation as the formula for sharing revenue from the Federation Account.

Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) candidate for Ikeja Federal Constituency, Honourable Abiodun Faleke, stated this Sunday in Lagos.

According to him, there has been constant demand for additional local governments by state governments because the government at the centre has opted to use number of local governments as basis for revenue sharing, which he said put states like Lagos at a disadvantage.

"Look at Lagos. It has just 20 local governments recognised by the constitution, yet it has more people to cater for than Kano with 44 local governments. Even Jigawa that was carved out of Kano has 27 local governments. This is grossly unfair," he lamented. Faleke stated further that in the spirit of transparency and equity, it is either local governments created by the states are listed in the constitution or the Federal Government should stop using number of local governments as formula for revenue sharing.