The
Chairman, Forum of South West Local Government Chairmen in Nigeria,
Chief Kunle Ayantoye, has berated the Minister of Finance, Dr. Ngozi
Okonjo-Iweala, for her “lack of understanding of the dynamics of the
nation’s economy.”
Ayantoye said at a press briefing in
Osogbo on Thursday that the minister was intellectually sound, but she
did not know how to run the economy of a nation like Nigeria.
He stated that states and local government councils had yet to receive the federal allocation for the month of July in October.
This, according to him, has crippled
activities at health centres across the nation because, health centres
are being run by the third tier of government.
He advocated fiscal federalism saying
this would bring an end to the deliberate starving of other tiers of
government who were at the mercy of the Federal Government.
He said, “That is why we are advocating
fiscal federalism. We hope that Mr. President will be excited one day
to do this as he had on Tuesday when he initiated the process for a
national dialogue.
“We condemn the concentration of fiscal
powers at Abuja. The concentration of fiscal power at the centre makes
states and local government councils go cap in hand for their statutory
allocations every month.
“The case is made worse when the
coordinating Minister for the Economy and Finance Minister, Dr. Ngozi
Okonjo-Iweala decides to run the country with books she read in the
World Bank.”
The ALGON boss said all the policies of the World Bank which the ministers had been implementing were anti-people.
Ayantoye, who is ALGON chairman in Osun
State, said the administration of Governor Rauf Aregbesola had
re-invented Osun State and given pride and dignity to the people.
According to him, the states in the
South West are blessed with good leaders who are carrying out
far-reaching transformation in every sector.
No comments:
Post a Comment