Governor Umaru Bago of Niger has appealed to the Revenue Mobilisation Allocation and Fiscal Commission (RMAFC), to include the state among states benefiting from the 13.5% derivation vote.
Bago made the appeal on Friday in Minna when he received a RMAFC delegation on a courtesy visit.
“Niger State usually feel shortchanged for not being considered among the states benefitting from the derivation vote because it hosts four hydrodams and has the highest land mass in the country.
“It has two major rivers, four hydropower dams and produces 60 per cent of the power that is consumed in Nigeria. Unfortunately, we don’t have anything to show for that.
“Year in year out, our communities are ravaged by excess water from these dams, so we want the RMAFC to take that into cognisance and put us all into a derivation formula.
“We need 13.5% derivation. We are not asking for too much, for fairness, equity, and justice,” he said.
He acknowledged the position of RMAFC, noting that it had been an important tool for stabilising a nation like Nigeria.
Bago pledged his continued support to the commission to enable it achieve its mandate.
In his remarks, Mr. Henry Awuregu, a Federal Commissioner in RMAFC and leader of the delegation, said that the visit was to officially inform the governor of the completion of the data verification exercise in the state.
He said the exercise was aimed at verifying and updating data used for revenue allocation among the states and local government areas across the federation.
Awuregu also said that the exercise is critical for nation-building and national development in line with the Commission’s constitutional mandate.
He said the revenue allocation system is anchored on indices designed to promote fairness, equity, equality and justice in the distribution of national resources.
The leader of the delegation noted the need to periodically verify and update data to reflect current realities such as changes in population, expansion in infrastructure, developmental gaps, among others.
“This exercise, therefore, seeks to validate the integrity and accuracy of the data that will inform future revenue distribution across the federation.
“We are sure that the outcome of this exercise will have far-reaching implications not only for the federation, but for Niger State in particular,” he said.
He assured the governor of the commission’s commitment to professionalism, transparency and objectivity in the discharge of its duties.
