revenue allocation formular
Ever since the creation of Regional Assemblies in 1947, the country has been in continual but unsuccessful search for a generally acceptable and satisfactory formula for revenue allocation. Inside eighteen years we had five full-scale Revenue Allocation Commissions. And we have, for some
time now, been looking forward to yet another.
Our failure, in the past, to evolve a generally acceptable and permanent formula or revenue allocation, has been blamed on all sorts of causes which, I dare say, are completely mistaken. The reason for our failure, in my humble opinion, is that we have never set before ourselves agreed national objectives which all of us should pursue simultaneously, and to which alone any formula for revenue allocation must be geared in order to assure for it general acceptance and a fair degree of permanency. As long as each State has its own pet and distinct objectives, which it is intent on pursuing, so long it will be difficult and well-nigh impossible for us to fashion a revenue allocation formula to which all of us could subscribe as satisfactory.
Before we embark, therefore, on the next exercise in revenue allocation, it is essential that we should, first of all search for, discover, and declare for ourselves, thoroughly basic national objectives which, if pursued in concert and progressively attained, would bring prosperity and advancement to all parts of Nigeria without exemption or discrimination, and keep our diverse peoples harmoniously united.
There are naturally many economic, political, and social objectives which Nigeria must pursue in order to justify its existence as a State. Some of these can be identified as basic and fundamental, and are so relevant to the subject of revenue allocation that, if faithfully pursued, will decidedly satisfy the principles of Even Progress and Need which, over the years, we have been hankering after and trying hard, with indifferent success or unsuccess to...