May 2016 Federal Allocation,Worst in 25 Years.

The Kano State governor, Dr. Abdullahi Umar Ganduje, has cried out that allocations from federation account to states in May, 2016 was the worst in the past 25 years.

“Kano State, in particular, can only sustain itself unless people pay revenue to the government”, Governor Ganduje asserted.

Speaking at a Town Hall meeting organised by the state government and held at Coronation Hall, Government House, Kano, Dr. Ganduje revealed that local governments hardly pay salaries with their monthly allocations until the state governments assist them with some funds.

In the area of tackling poverty and provision of employment, Ganduje stated that the state and the federal governments have brought together wheat farmers and buyers to agree on the price of wheat adding that government earmarked enormous funds for the successful conduct of the programme.

He revealed that about 100,000 rice farmers are being registered by the state government to benefit from the plan to boost rice farming.

Governor Ganduje disclosed that five grazing forests were selected and provided with mechanised boreholes to address Fulani herdsmen and farmers clashes and killings.

The governor said it is no longer fashionable for Fulani herdsmen to travel across the length and breadth of the nation feeding their animals.

“Over 60 people were sponsored and trained in Turkey for animal insemination and are now working at the two centres provided by the state.

“I want to believe this measure will end Fulani herdsmen crisis with the Southern Nigeria’s farmers”, says Ganduje.

Governor Ganduje maintained that the roads that are in deplorable condition are to be rebuilt, despite the shortfall in the size of revenue collected.

He noted that his administration has already embarked on major projects such as the construction of bridge along Panshekara-Challawa road, completion of Giginyu and Zoo road and major hospitals abandoned during his predecessor’s tenure as well as the road linking eight local government areas. Source:today.ng

Opinion: Time has come for states to start generating enough internal revenues, rather than depending on the monthly federal government allocations. There are a lot the states can do in this direction. Agriculture and tourism if well planned and invested on, could boost revenues for states. Weather is good for agriculture.