Nigeria Content Online

Lagos State
governor, Babatunde Fashola, has appealed to the Federal Government to
re-visit the revenue allocation formula which according to him
“currently favours the centre.”

Mr. Fashola made
the appeal at the Annual Ramadan Lecture organised by the Arabic and
Islamic Institute, `Markaz’, Agege, in Lagos on Sunday.

He said that
necessary constitutional amendments should be made to correct what he
described as the present straight jacketed lumping of all local
governments in one category.

The governor
justified his submission by explaining that the 774 local governments
in the country had different priorities to address to make life
meaningful to their people. “While some local governments are endowed
with mineral resources and deposits, some are riverine while those in
the north are preoccupied with cattle rearing and milk production.

“It is ironic that each one gets the same allocation, irrespective of its different features,’’ he explained.

Also at the event,
the governor said that the Lagos State Government was committed to
equipping public schools with laboratories and Information Technology
equipment to enable the schools compete favourably with products of
private schools.

He explained that
teachers in public schools would also enjoy continuous training to
enable them to impact adequate knowledge on pupils and students. He
implored Nigerians to participate actively in politics and to always
collaborate with their elected leaders through proffering constructive
suggestions and advice.

Also speaking, the
Director of the institute, Habeebullah Al-Ilori, commended the Lagos
Government for its achievements in the provision of infrastructure.
“An average resident of the state is happy to pay his or her taxes
now, because he or she feels the impact of the government more than
ever before,’’ he said.