Another slew of revenues of well over half a trillion Naira or N609.96 billion has been shared as December allocation to the federal, state and local tiers of government from the Federation Account, that statutory cesspool of corruption. Whatever feeds corruption is corrupt itself.
The revenue is made up of N529.53 billion from unearned rent or oil export and only N80 billion from local productivity or value added tax. From the total revenue, the federal government gobbled N529.81 billion, states slurped up N164.51 billion and local governments cleaned out N124.09 billion. The oil producing states tucked away N43.21 billion as derivation fund while Nigerian Customs, FIRS and DPR hauled N4.7 billion, N7.95 billion and N3.65 billion respectively as cost of revenue collection.
Every month for the past 50 years, billions have been shared in this very manner from the federation account. Yet Nigeria is in the dark throes of gross desolation. Save for meeting some recurrent expenditure i.e. salaries of civil servants, there is little to show for economic development at all levels of government for the trillions of Naira shared over the years. Indeed many state governments owed salaries for long months until yet another slew of billions in bailout funds and Paris Club refunds came to the rescue.
National and state congresses being decadent in their oversight functions and being in cahoots with the executive arm of government are joint pillagers of these revenues released to the three tiers of government. The presidency, state governors and heads of MDAs pay hush money to congress members than account for revenues they receive. The produce is wanton stealing, no development projects, no productivity, mushrooming poverty, lack of jobs and decrepit infrastructure among other indicators of crashing living standards for the greater majority of Nigerians.
In a few more weeks, more billions will be shared again to the unproductive tiers of government. The revenues will disappear. The misery of the people will worsen. But there will be no questions, no accountability, no contribution to development. Except for possibly Lagos State, the 36 states, 774 LGs, ministries, departments and agencies of government are unviable units of open roguery. Yet we run a structure that statutorily pumps billions and billions into clearly corruption driven drain pipes. Is the Federation Account not merely feeding corruption and unaccountability? As earlier stated, whatever feeds corruption is itself corrupt.
No wonder our politics is held in a vicious headlock by crooks, thugs and cutthroats with scant time for vision, growth and prosperity of the people, our communities and the nation.
Let's keep sharing free loot to thieves. All hail rising oil prices. To hell with local productivity. Nigeria, we mourn thee.