State Governments Want Federal Government To Address Funding Of Agencies Domiciled In States

State Governments in the country have called on the Federal Government to urgently address the critical problem of funding or stipulate the role of state governments in various programmes.

The second tier of government specifically wondered how the government at the centre with a bigger budget expects state governments to fund all federal agencies domiciled in the states.

Speaking on behalf of his colleagues at the inauguration of the committee on Inter-Governmental Affairs by the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Mr. Boss Mustapha, the Secretary to the Kaduna State Government, Alhaji Balarabe Lawal, noted that money meant to for the construction of roads, building of schools and hospitals are now being channeled to fund and support federal government institutions, especially security agencies.

According to Lawal; “At the state level, we have been complaining that the federal government is quite remote to us. The meetings we normally have with SGF doesn’t give us enough opportunity to get across to the ministries like we do now.

“I think we can now interact with them and raise some issues we think can be taken care of. For example, I’m sure most of my colleagues will agree with me on this, when you take a look at the states, we shoulder a lot of federal government programmes, in the area of security and other services. You find that the funding from federal government is usually very low.

“So. we have tried to find out what is happening. They have a bigger budget but you find that all the agencies of federal government normally come to the states asking for one thing or the other.

“I have been raising it with the SGF that we have to sit down and find out what is happening. Are the agencies not being funded or they expect the state government for fund them?”