Chairman Revenue Mobilisation Allocation and
Fiscal Commission (RMAFC) Mohamed Bello Shehu OFR, has described the traditional rulers
as not only the custodians of tradition and culture but Pillars of Stability
and Development in Nigeria.
The chairman made this remark when some traditional rulers from
Nasarawa State, led by His Royal Highness Abdullahi Amegwa, the Osana of Keana
paid him a courtesy visit on Monday, 7th October, 2024, in his office in Abuja.
He said, "Prior to the colonial era, the system of
government that existed in Nigeria was controlled by the traditional rulers in
our various societies. The remarkable role they played not only as custodians
of culture and traditions but also as development agents in various societies
that formed what is known as Nigeria today can not be overemphasized."
He therefore stressed the need to recognise the rightful
position of the royal fathers and accord them a better role that will enable
them to perform optimally.
According to Shehu "We did not get things right with the
Local Government (LG) reforms of 1976 and we did not get it right with the 1999
Constitution of Nigeria (as ammended) but I only hope and pray that the present
attempt at reforming the Constitution will place a bigger role on the
traditional rulers and be able to also find a way not only to fund it but to
sustain it so that they will be able to hold the society together as they have
done over the years".
Earlier, Dr. Samson Gamu Yare, the Chunmada of Akwanga who spoke
on behalf of the leader of the delegation, disclosed that the inter - face with
the Commission emanated from the deliberation of the Council of Chiefs in
Nasarawa State, which was endorsed by the Executive Governor, His Excellency,
Engineer Abdullahi Sule.
He explained that they were in the Commission to request that
the 5% of the allocation to local governments, which is constitutionally
approved for traditional councils, should be deducted from the source and
allocated directly to the respective traditional rulers to ensure proper
accountability and compliance.
The royal father said, "Even with the improvement in
statutory allocation, the 5 percent allocated to Traditional Councils has
continued to experience decline and that for us is a serious concern.
This called for the interface and pleading from the traditional
council for the commission to consider deducting the 5% charge from the source
and disbursing it to the traditional councils. Past experiences show that the
Modus operandi of deductions where any kind of formular is applied with regard
to the implementation strategy is unacceptable."
He commended President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for the resilience and
courage to identify with the grass root to ensure that the third tier of
government is given its rightful place of pride following the Supreme Court
ruling, which granted financial autonomy to Local governments as provided in
the constitution of Nigeria.
He also congratulated the Chairman of the Commission and the
Hon. Members for being found worthy to serve the Country in this capacity.
Speaking on the issue, some Members and Directors of the
Commission at the occasion emphasised the need for clear a policy on the
deduction and allocation of the 5% entitlement to the traditional councils.
After an exhaustive deliberation, the royal fathers were advised
to formally write a letter to the Presidential Committee on Local Government
Autonomy and copy the Commission for actionable recommendation to the
Committee.
Other members of the delegation were His Royal Highness, Mahmoud
Umar Bwalla, the Sangarin Shabu and His Royal Highness, Pham. Luka Panya Baba,
the Esu Karu.