The Borno State government has reaffirmed its commitment to supporting the Revenue Mobilization, Allocation and Fiscal Commission (RMFAC) in the successful implementation of its nationwide data verification exercise,baimed at strengthening Nigeria’s revenue allocation system.
Deputy Governor Umar Kadafur, who represented Governor Babagana Zulum, while receiving a delegation of RMFAC officials at the Government House, Maiduguri, described the exercise as a strategic national assignment critical to effective governance and equitable revenue distribution.
The delegation was led by the Federal Commissioner representing Lagos State, Prof. Olusegun Adekunle, and included the Federal Commissioner representing Borno State, Hadiza Mustapha, and the Federal Commissioner representing Ebonyi State, Henry Nduka.
Speaking on behalf of Governor Zulum, the deputy governor said the verification exercise would provide reliable data for planning, budgeting, monitoring and evaluation of government programmes and projects, while promoting transparency and fairness in the allocation of national revenue.
He assured the commission of the state’s full cooperation, noting that all relevant Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs), alongside the 27 local government councils, had been directed to provide the commission with the necessary information, access to records and logistical support required for the exercise.
The deputy governor commended the RMFAC Chairman, Muhammad Shehu, and the commission’s management for their commitment to fiscal discipline, transparency, accountability and fairness.
He urged members of the verification team to conduct the exercise with professionalism, objectivity and integrity.
Kadafur also welcomed the delegation to Borno State, expressing confidence that the outcome of the exercise would strengthen fiscal governance and contribute to national development.
Earlier, the leader of the delegation, Prof. Adekunle, said the nationwide verification exercise is part of the RMFAC’s constitutional mandate to periodically review and validate the data used in determining revenue allocation among the three tiers of government.
He explained that the exercise is intended to ensure that the demographic, social and economic realities of every state and local government area were accurately captured to support a more equitable revenue-sharing formula.
Prof. Adekunle acknowledged the impact of years of insurgency on Borno State, citing the destruction of infrastructure, displacement of communities, disruption of livelihoods and increased pressure on public resources.
He stressed that obtaining accurate and verifiable data was essential to ensuring that the state’s current realities were adequately reflected in the revenue allocation process.
He appealed to all MDAs and the 27 local government councils to provide credible and verifiable information, emphasizing that all submissions would be thoroughly scrutinized and supported by documentary evidence to safeguard the integrity of the exercise.
Also speaking, the state Commissioner for Finance and Economic Planning, Umar Dalorima, highlighted the achievements of the Zulum administration in education, healthcare, security, infrastructure, housing, resettlement of internally displaced persons (IDPs), agriculture and other critical sectors.
