Governor of Oyo state, Seyi Makinde has urged legislators in the National Assembly and state houses of assembly to launch strong deliberations on the country’s twin concerns of resource control and state police.
He stated that the twin concerns had become critical, and that lawmakers should begin to address them as part of the constitutional amendment process.
The governor remarked this in the keynote presentation he delivered at the Conference of Presiding Officers of Nigeria Legislature on Saturday, according to a statement released by his Chief Press Secretary, Taiwo Adisa.
State police, according to Makinde, will aid in addressing the growing problem of insecurity in states and across the country.
He asked politicians to give more attention to some of the underutilized discussions about constitutional amendments.
Speaking on the need for the legislature to also engage in a robust discourse on resource control, the governor went further to say: “There is an ongoing national conversation about equity and fairness. We have seen the press release figures that show that it is just a few states that are contributing to the Value Added Tax, which everyone is sharing.
“We have long talked about the states that are producing the oil that we all are sharing proceeds from.
“Everyone has seen how some states do not even make an effort to raise their Internally Generated Revenue (IGR) because they are comfortable with receiving federal allocations from work done by others. But now that the receipts are dwindling, even those states are waking up to the conversation and asking if they can keep what they make.
“Can there be a better time to discuss resource control? Constitution amendments are a must. They are a big reason why we have the legislative arm of government. As time passes, new generations are born, and new conversations emerge. We must, as a people, be ready to move with the times. This is the only way to move forward.
“So, as you meet, I hope you can raise these thorny issues that have eluded those who came before you. You may not be able to resolve them, but you would at least acknowledge that there is an elephant in the room. This is an important first step.”
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