Kano has asked that it be accorded special status and demanded that the federal government allocate more revenue to states and local governments.

Usman Alhaji, secretary to the state government, made this known on Monday during a presentation at the Northwest Public Hearing on the Review of the Current Vertical Revenue Allocation Formula held at the Asa Pyramid Hotel, Kaduna.

“Allocation formula in any country is made for the benefit, growth and development of the nation. We cannot have a formula which does not allow the grassroots to develop.

“We have also stated that because of the unique nature of Kano State, 1 per cent allocation should be made to Kano State because if you develop Kano, you are developing Nigeria because as it is today Kano State has over five million people comprising people from different tribes in this country coexisting in large number,” he said.

Mr Alhaji said that the states and local governments are those at the grassroots saddled with handling all developmental issues concerning the people and the country.

He said whereas the federal government takes the lion share of the revenue, “states are burdened” with so responsibilities belonging to the federal government.

“For instance, security is fundamental because today, most of the states spend simply to keep their people alive and this is not good enough,” Mr Alhaji said.

He said states’ resources were Nigeria’s “commonwealth” and for the “relief and satisfaction” of all Nigerians, adding that no region “should be considered more important than others.”

Mr Alhaji said Kano was recommending a new revenue sharing formula of 41 per cent for the federal government, and 34 and 24 per cent for states and local governments.

“In Kano State, over 20 stakeholders made presentations and each of them decided on a certain percentage. As such, we added all the submissions and came up with an average.

“I think there should be a change in the allocation so that the states and local governments can have more,” Mr Alhaji said.

(NAN)