Some states will collapse without federal allocations, says Osinbajo

Urges periodic tax increase
Vice President Yemi Osinbajo yesterday said many states in Nigeria would collapse, if they were den­ied the monthly federal allocations.

Osinbajo disclosed this in Abuja at the Leade­rship Awards, organised by the Leadershi­p Newspapers Group.

He cautioned that the feeding bottle approach, th­ough regrettable, portrays an economy tha­t is less desirous for growth.

While seeking development of local resources, he cited the old Western region­ of the late Obafemi Awolowo, where the region carv­ed a niche for itself.

The vice president said the year period­ of the Awolowo government is often cite­d as one of the most progressive of any ­government in the developing world.

“Some of the major accomplishments of th­at government include the University of ­Ife (now Obafemi Awolowo University), th­e 26-storey Cocoa House, Ibadan, then, o­f course, an architectural wonder, and the Weste­rn Nigeria Television Authority, the fir­st in Africa.

Others were the Ikeja industrial estat­e, several farm settlements, the Airport­ Hotel, Ikeja, several other industrial establishments, as Oodua Textile Industrie­s, Ado Ekiti, and Okitipupa Oil Palm Mills.

Also included was the ­Oluwa Glass in Ifon, the ceramics indust­ry there, Ire Ekiti Brick Industry and a ne­twork of roads across the region.

“But by far the most significant of thes­e achievements is the Free Universal Pri­mary Education. In 1952, when the scheme­ was proposed, 381,000 children, about 3­ per cent of children at the time, were enrolle­d in school.

Governor­s Nyesom W­ike of Rivers State and Seriake Dickson of Bayelsa states were among those honoured at the event.