In Statesman, Plato, the ancient Greek Philosopher noted that the states hegemony and stability lie in understanding and the force of the mind. This has been variously interpreted to mean reasoning and courage.
The fiscal autonomy aspect of the federalism discourse has unleashed some of these philosophical reflections in ways practical. Indeed, the arrogance of an over-bloated central authority is being chipped off by the force of the mind. Indeed, the awakening spawned by the Value Added Tax (VAT) through sheer interpretation of the letters and spirit of the constitution and the corresponding responses from those rattled in their comfort zones, speaks to Platos force of the mind.
While others desire the sustenance of the exploitative order, such the Katsina State Governor, Aminu Masari, others have resorted to appeal to draw the empathy of those on the winning side of the constitutional and logical struggle for fiscal justice.
The former would wish an imposition of VAT even on the transit of humans and goods through his state; the latter viewpoint is about being ones brothers keeper.Gombe State preferred an appeal to the southern governors to uphold the biblical ethic.
Inuwa Yahaya, governor of Gombe State, noted that if the emergent VAT regime held sway, his state would be in trouble with regard to its ability to pay salary. In his words, if they are granted the opportunity to collect VAT, what are we going to do? We must wake up to the reality on the ground. Earlier, his commissioner of Finance and Economic Development, Muhammad Magaji, appealed to Lagos and Rivers governments to reconsider their resolution on the collection of VAT, urging them to heed the divine injunction of being ones brothers keepers. As he put it, The VAT issue will have adverse effects not only on Gombe State but almost all the states of the federation. I was part of the discussion a few weeks ago by all commissioners of finance across the country The realisation was that only Lagos, Rivers and probably Delta states would be able to pull through without this VAT being administered centrally, and it is our appeal that we all put sentiments behind and work towards a federation that is one, by being our brothers keepers and ensuring that what is pull together at the centre is distributed to be able to balance resources across the country Dont forget that the oil-producing states collect only 13 per cent derivation, so if you say every state will take whatever resources it has, it means we are starting a very dangerous trajectory that will not augur well for the federation called Nigeria.
While the case may be raging in the judiciary, realism is that the federal authorities and the federating states in their present characterisation should wake to the imperative of financial autonomy. We firmly believe that every state of the extant state structure badly skewed as it has the window for financial fiefdom. There is hardly any state in Nigeria today that is not endowed with natural resources, which when exploited and developed would become a wealthy haven. We present in what follows a brief summary of the natural endowments of the states of the federation.
Abia has crude oil, limestone, coal, lead and zinc and other unexplored mineral deposits. Adamawa has gynapsum, dolomite, limestone, bauxite, a large deposit of gypsum at Guyuk. Akwa Ibom has crude oil (reserve). Anambra has crude oil (in reserve), kaolin, limestone and marble. Bauchi has limestone, columbite and iron-ore, crude oil (untapped). Benue has limestone, coal, clay and gypsum. Benue has limestone, clay and gypsum while Borno has Feldspar, limestone, kaolin, clay, potash, iron-Ore, natural salt, quartz, magnetite, diatomite, trona, mica, silica sand, gypsum, granite chips, flutters earth and uranium.Cross River has natural gas, limestone, clay, sand/gravel, salt, brines quartz/glass, gold, uranium, titanium. Delta is the second-largest producer of crude oil, gypsum lignitre, tar sands, marble, silica, sands, ball dolomite granite and gold. Edo limestone, marble, kaolin, dolomite and granite, glass, lead and gold, silica and oil. Enugu has the highest coal deposit in West Africa along with the ball and fine clay, limestone, silica, iron, ore, lead/zinc, kaolin barytes. Imo is endowed with limestone, lead/zinc, ore, kaolin, gypsum, lignite, clay shale, crude oil deposit. Jigawa has kaolin, copper, gold, silica, potash, tourmaline, iron ore. Kaduna has gold, gemstone, kaolin. Kano has kaolin, tin and copper. Katsina has graphite, marble, kaolin and silica. Kebbi has kaolin, salt, clay, limestone and gypsum. Kogi described as the museum of Nigeria, is the location of the confluence of Rivers Benue and Niger in Lokoja, a high profile tourist centre in Nigeria. Also, it has Limestone, clay, gold, crude oil, iron ore and gemstone.
Others like Kwara State has iron ore, marble, limestone, clay, dolomite and potash. Lagos, a state with the highest concentration of industries in Nigeria and West Africa, is equally endowed with silica and bitumen and laterite. Niger has glass and silicon, stone, gold, iron ore, limestone. Ondo has bitumen (tar sand), the second-largest deposit in the world, surpassed only by Canada. It has also crude oil, quartz limestone, kaoline, iron ore and columbite. Ogun State is gifted by providence with limestone, chalk, phosphate, clay, kaolin; its tar sand harbours the famous Olumo rock, a tourist asset. Osun has gold, clay, limestone and granite, good repository of culture and cultural artifacts. Oyo has dolomite, silimenite, kaolin and granite. Plateau has tin, iron ore, gemstone, coal, berytre, kaolin salt and zircon. Rivers is one of Nigerias largest producers of oil and has silica sand granite, and ball. Sokoto has gold, kaolin, gypsum, lignite, feldspar and limestone while Taraba has granite, bauxite, feldspar; a variety of gemstones, mica, pyrite, uranium lead/zinc, gelano, barytes, marble and clay. Besides, it harbours the famous Mambilla Plateau, c. 1830 meters above sea level. Yobe State has Gypsum, limestone, troma, clay, shale, kaolin and potash. Zamfara State has high reserves of solid minerals including gold, copper, zinc etc. By some estimate, the state is said to have over 60 per cent of total solid mineral deposits in the country (courtesy of Professor Mike Isokun, Towards a Sustainable Development in Nigeria: The End and the Means, The Constitution, Vol. 1, No. 4 June 2001).
The above endowments are complemented by sundry food and economic crops. The time has come to wean ourselves off the feeding bottle federalism. We make bold to say that all states of the federation must enlist into the struggle for restructuring so as to empower themselves to harness the resources within their domain, and perhaps, pay a royalty to a slimmer centre in a restructured Nigeria. It is the paved road to financial freedom. The twenty-first century is not for freebooters but for the creative and innovative. That is what is required of the governing elite in Nigeria, without primitive accumulation and misappropriation and mismanagement of our national resources. It is time to build. It is the promise of genuine federalism.
See the article here:
- 2024 Lok Sabha Elections: Need to pitch for Federalism and Special Status for Goa - Herald Goa - April 6th, 2024 [April 6th, 2024]
- 1999 constitution and the quest for true federalism - Nigerian Observer - April 6th, 2024 [April 6th, 2024]
- Federalism is not Apartheid The Mail & Guardian - Mail and Guardian - April 6th, 2024 [April 6th, 2024]
- Modi has delivered confrontational federalism: Congress | Siddaramaiah highlights 'injustices to K'taka | Inshorts - Inshorts - April 6th, 2024 [April 6th, 2024]
- Lebanese Pro-Federalism Activist Alfred Riachi: Prior To October 7, The Standard Of Living In Gaza Was Pretty ... - Middle East Media Research... - February 22nd, 2024 [February 22nd, 2024]
- The Potential Impact of 'Disease X' on Federalism in the U.S. - Medriva - February 22nd, 2024 [February 22nd, 2024]
- 'People's Charter' Puts Federalism at The Heart of Myanmar's Democratic Future - The Irrawaddy - February 22nd, 2024 [February 22nd, 2024]
- Siddaramaiah vs Modi: The 'cess-y' mess in fiscal federalism - Deccan Herald - February 22nd, 2024 [February 22nd, 2024]
- Ideas Of India: Devendra Fadnavis To Take A Deep Dive Into Role Of Collaborative Federalism In Nation-Building - ABP Live - February 22nd, 2024 [February 22nd, 2024]
- Potential of federalism should be realized: PM Dahal - The Himalayan Times - February 22nd, 2024 [February 22nd, 2024]
- Sensible education policy needed - The Kathmandu Post - October 9th, 2023 [October 9th, 2023]
- Both cooperative federalism and competitive federalism have their ... - Insights IAS - August 18th, 2023 [August 18th, 2023]
- Federalism to poll promises: South India CMs bring up host of local ... - South First - August 18th, 2023 [August 18th, 2023]
- Justice Mitchell (Alabama): "The New Bar Exam Puts DEI Over ... - Reason - May 20th, 2023 [May 20th, 2023]
- Season of instability - The Kathmandu Post - May 20th, 2023 [May 20th, 2023]
- Trump Indictment Tests Congress's Role in State Investigations - Bloomberg Law - May 20th, 2023 [May 20th, 2023]
- Big Business' New Plan Would Create Fifty New Immigration Policies - Federation for American Immigration Reform - May 20th, 2023 [May 20th, 2023]
- Senator decries move to block bill loosening Wisconsin abortion law - Milwaukee Journal Sentinel - May 20th, 2023 [May 20th, 2023]
- "Illegally buying time": Congress leader Abhishek Singhvi chastises ... - ANI News - May 20th, 2023 [May 20th, 2023]
- Baby Ninth Amendments Part IV: All the Rights but Not ALL the Rights - Reason - May 20th, 2023 [May 20th, 2023]
- Amid the Fight for Myanmar, Federalism Rises from the Grass Roots - United States Institute of Peace - May 18th, 2023 [May 18th, 2023]
- Lesson from Karnataka respect states and India's federalism - Deccan Herald - May 18th, 2023 [May 18th, 2023]
- Dr. Paul Nolette named director of Les Aspin Center for Government ... - Marquette Today - May 18th, 2023 [May 18th, 2023]
- Sen. Cramer Welcomes ND Witnesses, Discusses Water ... - Kevin Cramer - May 18th, 2023 [May 18th, 2023]
- Utilities, Transmission, and the Grid: An Interview with Ari Peskoe - Brown Political Review - May 18th, 2023 [May 18th, 2023]
- Six months after elections, provincial governments are still incomplete - The Kathmandu Post - May 18th, 2023 [May 18th, 2023]
- NON-FICTION: WHY FEDERALISM ENDURES IN PAKISTAN ... - DAWN.com - May 6th, 2023 [May 6th, 2023]
- Justice Scalia's Unpublished Dissent in Kelo v. City of New London - Reason - May 6th, 2023 [May 6th, 2023]
- Citizens, civil society hold the ruling party, BJP to account ... - SabrangIndia - May 6th, 2023 [May 6th, 2023]
- ED Proposes Title IX Athletics Rule Requiring Participation Based ... - The Federalist Society - May 6th, 2023 [May 6th, 2023]
- The Mysterious Case of the Imposition of Article 355 in Manipur - The Wire - May 6th, 2023 [May 6th, 2023]
- Non-BJP State Governments Not Exercising Accountability, Allowing ... - Daily Excelsior - May 6th, 2023 [May 6th, 2023]
- Two years of Stalin government in Tamil Nadu: Two steps forward - Times of India - May 6th, 2023 [May 6th, 2023]
- What is the issue of gubernatorial inaction in the legislative process ... - Insights IAS - April 29th, 2023 [April 29th, 2023]
- World Bank Approves $100 Million to Strengthen Nepal's Healthcare ... - ReliefWeb - April 29th, 2023 [April 29th, 2023]
- Canada's federal transfer payment system badly needs a tune-up - The Conversation - April 29th, 2023 [April 29th, 2023]
- 50 years of basic structure doctrine | Only safeguard against majoritarian govt: Sr Advocate Ramachandran - The Indian Express - April 29th, 2023 [April 29th, 2023]
- Federalism - Definition, Examples, Cases, processes - Legal Dictionary - February 20th, 2023 [February 20th, 2023]
- What is federalism? | State Policy Network - February 5th, 2023 [February 5th, 2023]
- UPSC Key- January 19, 2023: Learn about Annual Status of Education Report, Federalism and State Legislatures - The Indian Express - January 19th, 2023 [January 19th, 2023]
- Advantages and Disadvantages of Federalism American Government - January 6th, 2023 [January 6th, 2023]
- fiscal federalism | public finance | Britannica - December 26th, 2022 [December 26th, 2022]
- About ALEC - American Legislative Exchange Council - December 12th, 2022 [December 12th, 2022]
- Canadian federalism - Wikipedia - November 23rd, 2022 [November 23rd, 2022]
- U.P. bags top honours at PMAY-U Awards 2021 - The Hindu - November 23rd, 2022 [November 23rd, 2022]
- Political Line sc views on conversions rajiv convicts and federalism and more - The Hindu - November 21st, 2022 [November 21st, 2022]
- Byron Williams: The court is poised to rewrite federalism - Winston-Salem Journal - October 17th, 2022 [October 17th, 2022]
- Why Hindi may set the tone for 2024 - Deccan Herald - October 17th, 2022 [October 17th, 2022]
- A Myanmar roadmap: Charting the path to federal democracy - International IDEA - October 17th, 2022 [October 17th, 2022]
- Next generation of reforms should focus on reducing cost of doing business - Economic Times - October 17th, 2022 [October 17th, 2022]
- Nigeria And The Intrigues Of Insecurity -By Kene Obiezu - Opinion Nigeria - October 17th, 2022 [October 17th, 2022]
- Trudeau's aggressive federalism may leave Ottawa weaker than before - The Globe and Mail - October 15th, 2022 [October 15th, 2022]
- What is Federalism? | CSF - October 15th, 2022 [October 15th, 2022]
- Kerala Against Hindi Imposition; Terms Recommendations Attack on Federalism and Diversity of Nation - NewsClick - October 15th, 2022 [October 15th, 2022]
- 2023: Well Vote for Candidate Committed to Federalism, Diversity, Says UPU - THISDAY Newspapers - October 15th, 2022 [October 15th, 2022]
- Attorney General Knudsen fights Biden administration rule requiring states to reach net-zero highway emissions - Montana Department of Justice - October 15th, 2022 [October 15th, 2022]
- How Scotland can learn from Quebec's third way on constitution - HeraldScotland - October 15th, 2022 [October 15th, 2022]
- Federalism and Why Presidents Fail - THISDAY Newspapers - September 22nd, 2022 [September 22nd, 2022]
- Vedanta and the missing spirit of federalism - The New Indian Express - September 22nd, 2022 [September 22nd, 2022]
- Federalism Most Suited Idea For India In View Of Its Diversity, Centralising Whole Things Will Lead To... - Live Law - Indian Legal News - September 22nd, 2022 [September 22nd, 2022]
- Urging the Use of One Federal Decision Rule to Speed Up Bipartisan Infrastructure Law Projects - Kevin Cramer - September 22nd, 2022 [September 22nd, 2022]
- Constitution Day 2022: Celebrating the right to govern ourselves - Yellowhammer News - September 22nd, 2022 [September 22nd, 2022]
- From Augusta Constitution Day: What does it mean to you? - Press Herald - September 22nd, 2022 [September 22nd, 2022]
- Explained | The office of the Governor: its origins, powers, and controversies - The Hindu - September 22nd, 2022 [September 22nd, 2022]
- Geography Professional Speaker Series kicks off with alumnus from Ohio EPA on Sept. 23 - Ohio University - September 22nd, 2022 [September 22nd, 2022]
- Vector-borne diseases trouble Nepal every year as there is not a single entomologist - Online Khabar (English) - September 22nd, 2022 [September 22nd, 2022]
- The Gujarat factor in the development project - Hindustan Times - September 22nd, 2022 [September 22nd, 2022]
- The downslide in federal relations - The Indian Express - September 22nd, 2022 [September 22nd, 2022]
- Competition between states to attract investment will boost Indias economy - Moneycontrol - September 22nd, 2022 [September 22nd, 2022]
- For state of the nation, look at states of the nation: Niti Aayogs new chief says it will help states learn - Times of India - September 22nd, 2022 [September 22nd, 2022]
- Letters to the Editor: Queen injected vitality, vigour into lives of many - The Kingston Whig-Standard - September 22nd, 2022 [September 22nd, 2022]
- Climate action that runs on cooperative federalism - The Hindu - September 15th, 2022 [September 15th, 2022]
- The spirit of federalism - The News International - September 15th, 2022 [September 15th, 2022]
- Javier Perez Sandoval Receives the 2022 William Anderson Award - - Political Science Now - September 15th, 2022 [September 15th, 2022]
- A new Constitutional Convention is a very bad idea | Opinion - Knoxville News Sentinel - September 15th, 2022 [September 15th, 2022]
- Rodney Hero Receives the 2022 Barbara Sinclair Lecture Award - - Political Science Now - September 15th, 2022 [September 15th, 2022]
- Department of the Interior, Fish and Wildlife Service: Migratory Bird Hunting; 20222023 Seasons for Certain Migratory Game Birds - Government... - September 15th, 2022 [September 15th, 2022]
- Increasing Threat To Federalism From Centrally Sponsored Schemes- Need To Form A Federal Front - Countercurrents.org - September 3rd, 2022 [September 3rd, 2022]
- Breakenridge: Supporting federalism is the only way Alberta can be a partner in LNG exports - Calgary Herald - September 3rd, 2022 [September 3rd, 2022]
- Two tools for tracking the American Rescue Plans local and national impacts - Brookings Institution - September 3rd, 2022 [September 3rd, 2022]