Chief Tokunbo Ajasin, Federal Commissioner, representing Ondo State at the Revenue Mobilisation Allocation and Fiscal Commission, in this interview by KEHINDE AKINTOLA, bears his mind on the crisis trailing the activities of armed herders at the Ondo State forest reserves, restructuring and the much-awaited new revenue sharing formula. Excerpts:
As an elder statesman from Ondo State, I will like you to give an insight into issues in the ongoing happenings in Ondo State following the state government’s directive for herders to leave the state-owned forest reserves?
I’ve been waiting for a situation where the governor will do something about the problems that we have been facing that led to the setting up of the Amotekun. The security outfit has been doing some work. Sometimes, the problem they face is that when they apprehend suspected criminals, they have to hand them over to the police for prosecution. Sometimes, the police are reluctant to accept them. So, it’s like there’s no synchronisation in the way they operate. I think that since they don’t have the prosecutorial power, the Amotekun personnel hand them over to the people, who possess such power. But sometimes, the police are reluctant. Even in a situation where they don’t have the fire-power like guns, AK-47 and other weapons, what happens is that when they get to a point, they invite the police. The police are also reluctant; they claim they are not for the bus. So, that’s some of the problems that we are facing. But what I will recommend is: let he Amotekun carry arms; States should provide them with the arms which boils down to what we have been talking about: need for state police. I see it as a holistic thing about restructuring and so on. .
The governor of Ondo State said certain individuals making life difficult for his people should get out of the forest Reserve. He said they have turned the forest reserves to a hiding place. The Federal Government is opposing him. I just find that position difficult to believe. Do they want the security situation to deteriorate to the extent that criminal elements would start kidnapping school children and taking them to the forests like they did in the Sambisa Forest, Chibok in Borno State, as well as in Katsina State? And the most recent ones, they kidnapped the wife of the Chief of Staff to the governor; they killed a first-class traditional ruler; a professor and a number of persons. We keep shouting about these killings, but the Federal Government seems not to be saying anything. Now that we have taken action to protect our people, then some press secretaries are saying we are against them. We are not saying herdsmen should leave Ondo State; we are saying they should come out from the forest reserves and you would expect that the Federal Government will rally round and assist the governor who is the chief security officer of the state, in that regard.
Do you think such pronouncement of the Presidency on the matter could lead to a lasting solution to the lingering security problem in the country?
No, it is going to compound situation because, like I said, the governor has done the right thing and the Federal Government should support the move. As a matter of fact, sometimes I don’t believe some of those things are coming from the President, because he always speaks through his media people, which I don’t think it’s quite right. I mean sometimes, he needs to make certain pronouncements because his late Chief of Staff used to give instructions. Sometimes, we want to hear direct from the President himself; we want him to talk us.
Don’t you think there is a need to review the security structure put in place in the South-West, due reports alleging mass movement of herders to parts of the region?
Yes, I think so because of the level of insecurity in the area. I can’t travel from Abuja to Ondo State by road. That is something that I used to do some years back; I can’t do it anymore. We are afraid of being kidnapped. So, must we wait until the situation deteriorates to the level of kidnappers taking school children in large numbers? In fact, if they had listened to all that we have been saying about restructuring, most of these problems would not arise. Everybody has been shouting about restructuring. What’s wrong with us getting together to find solutions to our problems? After all, the All Progressives Congress (APC) did a study under Governor Nasir el-Rufai of Kaduna State and came up with recommendations on the way forward. That is the party in power. The el-Rufai committee made recommendations that can be implemented and they are part of the promises they made during electioneering. I think it is appropriate for restructuring to happen.
Talking about the restructuring as it relates to revenue sharing formula, what has your commission done so far, especially in terms of improving the finances of the sub-national governments in the country?
Let me start by saying that I believe that the Federal Government should shed some of its activities. There are about 68 items in the Exclusive legislative List. That’s too much it should be reduced to the barest minimum. Let the states do all the work. By the time some of these items are conceded to the states, the amount of the revenue going to states will also increase. So, at the Revenue Mobilisation Allocation and Fiscal Commission, we are in the process of reviewing the process. It has not been done for some years. It ought to be carried out every five years but it hasn’t been done since they looked at it during the regime of President Olusegun Obasanjo. They only looked at it without implementing whatever was decided on at that time. But we are at it again now. Hopefully, by the end of next year, we should be done with it. Everybody has been clamouring for it.
But what efforts are you making to capture most sectors that could boost the nation’s revenue, especially through mining?
The mining sector has been a major problem. In fact our chairman promised that the solid minerals would be a major source of revenue. But, till now we haven’t done much in that area. Budget constraints have not allowed us to do much. But it’s an area that needs a lot of work and like I said, our chairman promised that the nation could make from the solid minerals. Right now, we are making pittances.
What do you think are the constraints on the issue of diversification of the economy?
Nobody has been diversifying anything, that’s the problem. They mouth it but they don’t do anything; they do not walk the talk. They just say diversification, whereas everybody knows that diversification is the main thing. That’s the major reason I think every area should concentrate on its strength. That’s why I am for resource control. Resource control will allow everybody to make money because if you can’t think of how to govern your people, they will either sack or abandon you. Resource control will make people to think out of the box. But a situation where money comes, whether you work or not, there is little room for real progress in terms of economic growth and development. I don’t think that’s the best. It’s like easy come and easy go. The situation will be different if you struggle and work for the money.
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