In writing this piece, my aim is not to do a revisionist theory on revenue allocation and petroleum products price fixing in Nigeria, read Mobolaji Aluko, Ph.d @ www.nigerdeltacongress.com/articles/revenue_allocation_and_the_niger.htm, also read Kombo Maison Braide Ph.d @ www.nigerdeltacongress.com. These two gentlemen have done justice to the subject matter herein discussed.

However, by using a two prong approach, it is the intention of this writer to not only expose the hypocrisy of the Nigerian state but to also offer far reaching solutions. That the Supreme Court erred on the side of justice is very clear by its illegal first charge ruling, the onshore/offshore dichotomy and the subsequent retrieval of hitherto allocated funds from oil producing states. Remember that the present revenue sharing formula as it stands is an anathema, also the notion that the federal capital territory should be considered a state for the purpose of revenue allocation is ridiculous. My question for the government is; why should the 36 states pay for FCT’s allocation?

Besides revenue accruing to all tiers of governments from the federated account, Nigeria has continued to find itself stagnated by lack of will to source public funds from legitimate means other than dependence on petroleum resources. The bulk of allocated funds are not properly monitored to ensure they are put to judicious use. In the end they are siphoned off to Europe and America by the thieving ruling class.

The solution here will be for the national and state legislative assemblies to commence the drafting of a new constitution for the Nigerian state, one that ensures equitable distribution of the federation account and putting a caveat on the states to generate internal revenues with diligence to the needs of residents, setting up in each legislative house, checks and balances to monitor the implementation of yearly fiscal budgets. Individual state contribution should be acknowledged in revenue allocation while certain projects should require counter part funding from the states. All these should be aimed at ensuring a just and fair society. Successful implementation by states and local governments of certain fiscal projects should also be criteria for its share of federal allocation. A case in point will be using a programme such as the universal basic education. The caveat will be that any state and local councils that does not implement the UBE scheme faithfully will risk not getting its UBE federal allocation in the next fiscal year. Unless satisfactory explanation is given as to its failure, the present situation whereby no one takes responsibility for anything is definitely unacceptable.

Now to the issue of petroleum products price fixing in Nigeria. Quoting Pres.Olusegun Obasanjo; “The petroleum products pricing regulatory agency PPPRA is to ensure that the issues in the sector become less of price fixing but more of the actual moderation of volatility in product prices and wider acceptance of reforms in the sector, thus instituting a modicum of order in the supply and distribution chain”. The question now is; has he kept his promise? Definitely no! This is what the Washington post has to say about Pres. Obasanjo; “since Obasanjo’s election in 1999 heralded the end of military rule, he has overseen years of steady decreases in government fuel subsidies at the urging of the world bank”- Washington post, October 3, 2005. This is what the Washington post did not say, 80% of Nigerians are suffering terribly as a result of Obasanjo’s inhumane economic policies. In order to verify this claim, just go to any neighborhood in downtown Nigerian cities and see for yourself. The poverty is sickening. Paraphrasing the Washington post also, I say firmly that humane subsidies should be by no means be confined to big oil exporting countries like Venezuela and Iran, where gasoline prices are famously cheap in the tens of cents per gallon.

Nigerians were promised palliative measures by this President, where are they? I guess it only takes effect in Aso rock.

By now, we should have been tired of these kinds of “leadership” but as a group of resilient people we have chosen to throng on hoping that tomorrow will be better than today. But unfortunately, as I write this piece, the lot of many Nigerians have not changed, the onus is on the “leadership” to either come to the aid of the people or risk being confined to the dustbin of history. The choice is theirs to make. One thing that I do know however is that history will definitely be unkind to these set of “leaders” that have walked this way. No amount of spin can change that.

This last note is for President Obasanjo, an average European cow is subsidized more than the welfare of an average African especially an average Nigerian. My advice for you is to heavily subsidize petroleum products in Nigeria and implement the rest of your macro economic policies with a firm grip on corruption, then you can sit back and see that our hitherto sleep walking economy will run.

A.Y.Ajia writes from Indianapolis, Indiana USA

Smith30045@yahoo.com

Robot  Villager

# 1 Reflections of a Private Citizen II In writing this piece, my aim is not to do a revisionist theory on revenue allocation and petroleum products price fixing in Nigeria, read Mobolaji Aluko, Ph.d @ www.nigerdeltacongress.com/..., also read Kombo Maison Braide Ph.d @ www.nigerdeltacongress.com. These two gentlemen have done justice to the subject matter herein discussed. However, by using a two prong approach, it is the intention of this writer to not only expo...Read the full article. Posted by Robot| 09.11.2005 05:48