Delta State Governor, Ifeanyi Okowa on Thursday called on the Federal Government to alter the prevailing revenue allocation formula in favour of states and local governments in the country, to reflect current economic challenges in the country.
Okowa made the call when he received the National Executive Council members of the Association of Local Governments of Nigeria (ALGON), led by the National President, Kolade Alabi, who visited him in Asaba.
According to Okowa, the review of the revenue formula had become expedient in view of the huge responsibilities facing states and local governments in the country.
He said: “I believe that local government administration must be autonomous and here in Delta, we have never tampered with their funds, rather we assist them and provide bailout funds for them on a monthly basis to augment their payment of salaries.
“We have generally, as a nation, made local government administration take up serious responsibilities like payment of local government council staff and primary school teachers’ salaries without providing the necessary funds for them.
“We need to have a re-work of the revenue allocation formula because none of the arms of government should shy away from that.”
The ALGON President, while speaking earlier, said the group was in Delta for its national executive council meeting, adding that the choice of the state was in recognition of Okowa’s accomplishments in local government administration.
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