Lagos – The Lagos State House of Assembly on Tuesday, called on the Federal Government to allow states to hold 40 per cent as derivation from federal taxes and other revenues generated in them.
The call followed a motion co-sponsored by nine lawmakers and moved by the Deputy Speaker, Mr Wasiu Eshinlokun-Sanni, with support by Mr Segun Olulade, Chairman of the House Committee on Health, which was unanimously adopted.
The house also called on President Muhammadu Buhari and the National Assembly to reflect on fiscal federalism and state police.
Moving the motion, Eshinlokun-Sanni said: “If the Federal Government gives other states derivation, we should also get derivation from what is generated from Lagos.
“The House calls on the National Assembly to review the exclusive list in the Constitution with a view to devolving more powers to the states for greater development”.
According to him, federalism is a system of government in which the individual state within a country has control over its own affairs and resources.
He added that the superiority posture of the Federal Government over state governments and the state governments’ superiority over local governments was a setback to true federalism.
Eshinlokun-Sanni pointed out that fundamental problem with the nation’s federalism was the domination of the Federal Government, particularly in the area of revenue sharing formula.
He said that unless the socio-economic arrangement of the country was done in line with the concept of true federalism, the desired development would continue to elude Nigeria.
In his remarks, the Speaker of the house, Mr Mudashiru Obasa, said, “Lagos deserves a special status and more percentage of the revenue generated in the state.
“We have never had a true federalism in Nigeria, what we have is other way round of what is called federalism.
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“If our political system is not restructured, nothing can work and it will be difficult to come out of our economic problems.
“When we were practising regional system, everybody in each region was passionate and concerned about the development of the region,’’ he said.
Obasa said that the house would not relent in its calls for true federalism to enhance development. (NAN)
