States owe FG N16.6bn – NEC

…Approves state police, 0.05% for RMAFC

The National Economic Council (NEC) says states’ indebtedness to the Federal government now stands at N16.6 billion

Wale Edun, minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy, revealed this while briefing State House journalists after the 147th meeting of the NEC meeting presided over by Vice President Kashim Shettima on Thursday.

Anambra State governor, Chuckwuma Soludo, while also briefing, stated that NEC approved 0.05 percent funding for the Revenue Mobilisation, Allocation and Fiscal Commission (RMAFC).

According to him, the agency had approached NEC for approval, alongside the repeal of the act setting up the agency.

The chairman of the Revenue Mobilisation and Fiscal Allocation Commission made a presentation seeking to revise or repeal the existing act of parliament establishing the commission and replace it with a new one, as well as alternative funding to the institution.

“The NEC approved that RMAFC should forward the draft bill to the National Assembly for consideration and passage into law. And second, the council also approved the recommendation for improved funding for the commission to be funded with 0.05 percent non-oil Federation revenue based on the proposed tax reforms and subjected to further scrutiny by the National Assembly.

“I know the commission had requested 0.75 percent, but in the wisdom of NEC, it was 0.05 percent, subject to review by the National Assembly.

Kaduna Governor Uba Sani, speaking on state police, also revealed that the majority of the states have approved its establishment.

“Today, about 36 states have already made their submissions for establishing state police in Nigeria.

“I can say that from what is available, virtually most of the states are in agreement with the establishment of state police in Nigeria. But today, the council decided to step down the discussion until the next council meeting, because we need to come up with a report from the secretariat. After the report, there will be deliberation at the next NEC meeting which is likely to take place in January.

He, however, stated thatthe NEC agreed that there would be further stakeholder engagement after the panel and deliberation by the members of the NEC.

“So, all we are saying here is that 35 states have made their submission, and many states are in agreement for the establishment of state police because virtually every state has their peculiarity in terms of the problems we are having of insecurity in our states.

“Knowing fully well that we have a lot of ungoverned space in Nigeria, and also that we have a lot of deficit in terms of number of boots on the ground, looking at the fact that a lot of security agencies, the police, the army and other relevant security agencies have no personnel to cover all the ungovernable spaces, that is the reason why most of us agreed that establishment of state police in Nigeria is the way to addressing the problem of insecurity in our own country”, said Sani.