By Bida Elly David
National parliament on Monday adopted a policy framework of the Ministry of Federal Affairs that details how resources should be distributed once a feral system of governance is adopted.
On Monday the specialized committee of federalism at the parliament presented before the August House a policy report on federal system of governance in its second reading for further scrutiny and enactment.
The Ministry of federal affairs in their policy examines how to empower the state governments to enable them have powers for resource mobilization and management to mitigate misappropriation and cheating.
The policy reiterated the need for the central government to omit centralization of resource management and ensure all levels of government to have independent sources of revenues.
The policy suggested fair and just allocation of fiscal benefits through percentages where national government takes 60%, State governments with 25% and local government with 15%.
It further recommended increment of 15% to the oil producing states and communities from 2% and 3% formally paid to address social and environmental hazards.
Federal policy also rejects ethnic federalism outright in favor of territorial federalism terming South Sudan a center of ethnicity.
Parliamentarians after thorough analysis of the report passed it, noting that implementation of the policy would reduce the rate of resource mismanagement and unequal distribution by the central government.
They have approved the policy concerning rights of citizens to choose the type of federal system that befits them.
Hon. Samuel Buhori Lotti stated that the Central government has wasted a lot of resources as very little goes to the states where services are required to people.
Samuel underscored that if the wasted resources by the central government are to be used in right manner, then states would have experienced positive progress saying that federalism is the solution to overcome the mess.
“Let us not look into federalism from tribal or political aspects of view but on the developmental aspect of it. Most federal states in the world have progressed due to devolution of political and administrative powers to the local levels,” he said.
Despite passing the policy paper, the parliament has suggested that the number of states should be critically evaluated since non-resourceful states will be cheated once federalism is adopted.
Rebecca Joshua Okwachi, the government chief whip in parliament appreciated the civil call for federal system of government saying the process takes time since it will require evaluation and re-constitution.
“There is need for in-depth discussions about these percentages. With federalism, each state controls its own resources but with us, there is an oversight about these financial issues because some of the states will be more prosperous or have more resources than other states,” Rebecca noted.
She underlined that there was need to support non-resourceful states if federalism is going to be adopted.