The governor of Borno State, Kashim Shettima has called for the setting up of a special fund for the states under emergency rule as a result of Boko Haram insurgency.
The governor observed that the three states of Adamawa, Borno and Yobe deserve to be given a special fund in order to rebuild their devastated infrastructure arising from years of insurgency by the Islamic sect.
He urged that such a fund be considered in the current proposed revenue allocation review by the Revenue Mobilization, Allocation and Fiscal Commission.
Shettima said that there was no was the governments of the affected states can afford on their own the cost of reconstruction and rehabilitation that is needed to make life meaningful for the people.
He spoke on Thursday when members Revenue Mobilisation, Allocation and Fiscal Commission led by a federal commissioner representing Borno, Shettima Umar Abbagana, visited him in Government House, Maiduguri.
The governor equally observed that the nation’s resources belong to all the component parts and should be used to develop all the states proportionately, adding that it was selfish for any part of the country to insist on spending resources in it’s domain alone.
Shettima said that the resources of the nation is for the good of all and must be applied to develop all regions for the equal benefit of Nigerians.
The governor disagreed with calls for 50 percent derivation to the Niger/Delta just because it is rich in oil, saying it was unfair to other regions of the country.
He warned of the danger of allowing states endowed with natural resources to get preferential allocation from federal purse to the detriment of others, reasoning that this will only add to create two classes of states and a situation where there would be two classes of Nigerians – one satisfied and the other poor, angry and disgruntled.
This, the governor stated, would not augur well for peace, unity and security in the country.
“The whole states in the northeast receive less than Bayelsa State but the people from the oil producing areas are busy calling for 50 percent derivation. Surprisingly when we were in Germany, resources of Western Germany is being used in developing the Eastern Germany just to make sure that the area is at par with other parts of the country,” he observed.