L-R, Governor Sanwo-Olu and Prof. Wright.
Story by Dili Utomi.
The Revenue Mobilisation Allocation and Fiscal Commission (RMAFC) has detailed a 36 states sensitisation tour that would bring about better awareness of the commission’s core functions to the average person as well as educating the populace generally about the critical roles that they play. The programme is basically geared towards a robust interaction with all stakeholders with the aim of getting useful inputs from everybody. In line with these objectives, five officers committee members who are headed by the federal commissioner in the state are leading the sensitisation tour.
The committee has visited lagos and will continue their tour until friday, the 20th of August. In an opening address at the meeting with the Lagos state governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, the federal commissioner of the RMAFC in Lagos state, Professor Adekunle Wright noted that “It is a rare privilege for the committee to be in Lagos for this National assignment in the sensitisation of all stakeholders on the topical issue of the renew of existing revenue allocation formula that has been in operation over a long period of time”.
Professor Wright added that “Revenue allocation from the Federation Account is a specific Constitutional mandate of the Commission of the RMAFC Specifcally, Part 1, Paragraph 32(b) of the Third Schedule to the 1999 Constitution of the Federation (as Amended}, empowers the Commission “to review from time to time, the Revenue Allocation Formula and principles in operation to ensure conformity with changing realities provided that any Revenue Formula which had been accepted by an Act of the National Assembly shall remain in force for a period of not less than five years from the date of commencement of the Act”
He said that “In compliance with the foregoing Constitutional provision and in view of the changing socio-economic and political dynamics of the Nation, the Commission has been prompted and compelled to commence full scale engagement of representatives of various Stakeholders and the people nation-wide, in the process of fashioning a new revenue allocation formula for the country”. It is instructive to note that over the years there have been crying needs and stifled agitations by many Nigerians for the renew of the subsisting Revenue Sharing Formula, it is therefore worthy of note that the imperatives of the review cannot be over emphasised in order to fulfil the collective aspirations of Nigerians for sustainable development.
Consequently, the sensitization exercise has been designed to enlist the interests of Stakeholders through interactions at various levels in order to get informed opinions and make useful inputs that can provide workable template to assist the Commission with its task of evolving and bequeathing to the Nation a fair, just and equitable new revenue sharing formula.
The committee therefore solicits for positive contributions at the interactive sessions and through written memoranda.
Professor Wright reiterates that the Commission is greatly desirous to provide within the shortest time possible, a generally acceptable new Revenue Sharing Formula that will meet the yearnings and expectations of the three-tiers of Government and which will benefit the citizenry. The Professor said that he is impressed with the importance that the Lagos State government attaches to the programme as he promptly thanked the Governor.
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