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Buhari Receives RMAFC’ Revenue Sharing Formula, States, LGs Get More

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The Revenue Mobilization Allocation and Fiscal Commission has finally presented the report of the review of the vertical revenue allocation formula to the President, Major General Muhammadu Buhari, (retd.) after failing to meet the 2021 deadline.

Last year, the Chairman of the commission, Elias Mbam, said the report would be presented to the president by December 31, 2021. However, the commission failed to meet this deadline.

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New formula proposes 45.17% for FG, 29.79% for states, 21.04% for LGAs

The Chairman of the commission announced on Thursday that the proposed vertical revenue allocation formula advised 45.17 per cent for the Federal Government, 29.79 per cent for state governments and 21.04 per cent for the local governments.

Under Special Funds, he said the report by the commission recommended 1.0 per cent for Ecology, 0.5 per cent for Stabilisation, 1.3 per cent for Development of Natural Resources, and 1.2 per cent for the FCT.

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The old revenue formula was designed during the tenure of former President Olusegun Obasanjo.

Under this new formula, the Federal Government gets 52.68 per cent, the 36 states get 26.72 per cent while the 774 local government areas in the country share 20.60 per cent every month.

The proposed formula, therefore, suggested an upward review for states and local governments, but a downward review for the Federal Government.

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READ ALSO: Court Sentences Man To Death For Stealing Torchlight, N2,350

In arriving at the new vertical revenue allocation formula, Mbam told the President the commission had consulted widely with major stakeholders, public hearings in all the geo-political zones, administered questionnaires and studied some other federations with similar fiscal arrangements like Nigeria to draw useful lessons from their experiences.

He added that literature reviews were conducted on revenue allocation formula in Nigeria dating back to pre-independence period while the commission received memoranda from the public sectors, individuals and private institutions across the country.

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Explaining the major reasons for the exercise, Mbam noted that since the last review was conducted in 1992, 29 years ago, the political structure of the country had changed with the creation of six additional states in 1996, which brought the number of states to 36.

Correspondingly, he said, the number of local governments councils also increased from 589 to 774.

‘‘There have been considerable changes arising from the policy reforms that altered the relative share of responsibilities of the various tiers of Government such as deregulation, privatization and the lingering controversies over funding of primary education, primary healthcare,’’ he said.

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I’ll await constitution review process—Buhari

MeanwhilePresident Muhammadu Buhari, Thursday, in Abuja said he would await the final outcome of the constitutional review process before presenting the report of the review of the vertical revenue allocation formula to the National Assembly as a bill for enactment.

The President stated this while receiving the report by the RMAFC, led by Elias Mbam.

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According to a statement signed on Thursday by his Senior Special Assistant on Media and Publicity, Femi Adesina, Buhari said ‘‘Ordinarily, I would have gone ahead to table this report before the National Assembly as a bill for enactment.

“However, since the review of the vertical revenue allocation formula is a function of the roles and responsibilities of the different tiers of government, I will await the final outcome of the constitutional review process, especially as some of the proposed amendments would have a bearing on the recommendations contained herein.”

The President who lamented that the present revenue allocation formula has not been reviewed since the last exercise carried out in 1992, said ‘‘Considering the changing dynamics of our political-economy, such as privatisation, deregulation, funding arrangement of primary education, Primary Health Care and the growing clamour for decentralisation among others; it is necessary that we take another look at our Revenue Sharing Formula, especially the vertical aspects that relate to the tiers of government.

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‘‘This becomes more compelling as we need to reduce our infrastructural deficit, make more resources available for tackling insecurity, confront climate change and its associated global warming and make life more meaningful for our rapid growing population.’’

The President assured members of the commission that the Federal Government would immediately subject the report to its internal review and approval processes, while awaiting the finaliSation of the efforts by the National Assembly.

He commended the RMAFC for a job painstakingly done, pledging his unwavering commitment and support to them in carrying out their constitutional mandates.

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In his remarks, the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Boss Mustapha, said the RMAFC followed due process in undertaking the exercise, and sought the opinion of the Federal Government before finalising the report.

Mustapha said that it was in four volumes, including a summary in the main report.

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On his part, Mbam said the leading philosophy behind the proposed review was guided ‘‘by the need for distributive justice, equity and fairness as enshrined in relevant Sections of the 1999 Constitution (as amended).’’

PUNCH.

 

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After Fallout With Trump, Elon Musk Says He’s Forming ‘America Party’

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Billionaire Tesla owner Elon Musk, has disclosed that he is forming a third political party, which he called the ‘America Party,’ after a dramatic falling out with Donald Trump over a tax and spending bill recently signed into law by the President.

Musk, who was the largest individual donor to Trump’s 2024 presidential campaign, worked with the current US President as the lead of his cost-cutting government agency—the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE)—until his recent resignation.

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After bowing out of the DOGE role, Tribune Online reports that Musk started criticizing Trump’s “big beautiful bill” because of estimates that he said would add trillions of dollars to the federal deficit.

READ ALSO:Trump Says Will ‘Take A Look’ At Deporting Musk

Speaking via his X social media platform, Musk said, “When it comes to bankrupting our country with waste & graft, we live in a one-party system, not a democracy.”

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Musk, a former ‘first buddy’ of the US President, declared that the new party is for freedom: “Today, the America Party is formed to give you back your freedom.”

Meanwhile, Musk’s rift with President Trump last month after intense criticism of the spending bill appeared to have cooled after Musk regretted and deleted the most incendiary posts he made linking Trump with disgraced financier Jeffrey Epstein and calling for the President’s impeachment. According to Musk, those posts ‘went too far.’

However, the world’s richest man reignited the feud over the last several days as the bill neared passage and eventually passed by the House before it was subsequently signed at a White House ceremony.

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READ ALSO:Elon Musk Deletes Post Claiming Trump Was ‘In The Epstein Files’

According to CNN, the extent to which Musk has taken steps to legally form the party is unclear, as party formation requires registering with the Federal Election Commission. The most recent FEC filings showed no indication that this has happened, CNN reports.

The owner of X, who has made threats during the social media scuffle with Trump, had indicated he wants a party that is fiscally conservative and reins in spending, but has offered few other details about what the party’s platform would be.

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While Musk and Trump reportedly share similar views on contemporary social issues, the former has argued the Republican policy agenda will increase the debt, calling it “debt slavery.”

The two-party system in the United States has long been criticized by both registered Democrats and registered Republicans, but efforts in the last century to form a third party have shown little success. Billionaire Ross Perot ran for president as an independent in 1992, winning nearly a fifth of the popular vote, but carried no states in the election, which was won by Bill Clinton.

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Australian Actor Julian McMahon Is Dead

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Australian actor Julian McMahon, best known for his roles in Nip/Tuck, Charmed, and Fantastic Four, has died at the age of 56.

McMahon passed away in Clearwater, Florida, on Wednesday following a private battle with cancer.

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His death was confirmed in a statement released on Friday by his wife, Kelly.

The statement read,”With an open heart, I share with the world that Julian McMahon, my beloved husband, died peacefully this week after a valiant effort to overcome cancer.

READ ALSO:BREAKING: Liverpool Star Diogo Jota Is Dead

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His deepest wish was to bring joy into as many lives as possible.

“We wish all of those to whom Julian brought joy to continue to find joy in life.

“We are grateful for the memories.”

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Born into a prominent political family, McMahon was the son of former Australian Prime Minister Sir William McMahon.

READ ALSO:BREAKING: Renowned Businessman, Aminu Dantata, Is Dead

In a nod to his family’s legacy, he portrayed an Australian prime minister in the Netflix drama ‘The Residence.’

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McMahon’s career spanned decades, earning him international recognition for his roles as Dr. Christian Troy in ‘Nip/Tuck’, Cole Turner in ‘Charmed’, and Victor Von Doom in ‘Fantastic Four’.

He was married three times, including a high-profile marriage to Australian singer and actress Dannii Minogue, sister of pop icon Kylie Minogue.

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Thai Police Rescue Eight-year-old Boy Living With Dogs, Unable To Speak

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An eight-year-old boy has been rescued in Thailand after authorities discovered him living among dogs and only able to communicate by barking.

According to Dailymail on Friday, the boy, whose name has been withheld, was found on Monday during a welfare check at a ramshackle, drug-infested house in Lap Lae District, Uttaradit Province.

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Local reports say the child had been living with his mother, 46, and his 23-year-old brother, both of whom tested positive for drug use after a police raid.

Neighbours revealed that the family had long been isolated from the community, and the boy had no contact with other children. Instead, he spent his days with the family’s six dogs, which he reportedly mimicked.

READ ALSO:24-year-old Thai Lady Arrested At Lagos Airport With Illicit Drugs

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“He didn’t speak, he just barked. It was pitiful to see,” said Paveena Hongsakul, president of the activist foundation which worked with police on the rescue.

Authorities said the boy had only attended school once, despite his mother receiving government stipends of around 400 baht (£9) meant to support his education.

His mother hasn’t allowed him to go to school since he received a subsidy for free education,” Hongsakul explained. “After getting the money, she simply kept him at home.”

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Neighbours were said to have forbidden their children from playing with the young boy due to the family’s behaviour.

The mother was reportedly known in the area for begging at temples and has now been charged with drug use.

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A local teacher described the boy’s environment as a “red zone for drugs” and said that neighbours forbade their children from interacting with him.

‘The house is in a red zone for drugs,’ one teacher explained. ”The boy had no one, just the dogs to play with.”

The disturbing situation came to light after a headteacher raised the alarm, prompting activists and police to raid the house on June 30.

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Images shared in Thai media showed authorities at the shack surrounded by trees and several dogs.

Following the rescue, the boy was taken to a children’s home, where he will receive medical and psychological care.

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Ms Hongsakul, of the Foundation for Children and Women, will work with authorities to ensure the child receives continuous education, and her organisation will monitor his progress.

Images from the scene showed authorities standing around a small family in a wooded area with several dogs on site. Credit: Dailymail
Images from the scene showed authorities standing around a small family in a wooded area with several dogs on site. Credit: Dailymail
The boy will be given a chance at a good life. We’ll follow up with him to make sure he gets everything he needs,” she said.

Cases of so-called “feral children”, youngsters raised with little or no human contact, are extremely rare but often highlight the severe consequences of neglect.

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Experts cite the example of Oxana Malaya, a Ukrainian girl found in 1991 living with dogs after her parents abandoned her. Though she eventually learned to speak and reintegrated into society, she still struggled with some developmental challenges.

Authorities in Thailand say they are committed to giving the rescued boy a fresh start and the chance to live a normal life.

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