The Delta State Government has instructed all Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) to immediately begin compiling and collating relevant data ahead of a scheduled verification exercise by the Revenue Mobilisation, Allocation and Fiscal Commission (RMAFC) on Federation Account Allocation indices.
The directive was issued in Asaba by the State Commissioner for Finance and Coordinator of revenue-generating MDAs, Sir Fidelis Tilije, during an official briefing with relevant stakeholders.
Tilije explained that the forthcoming verification exercise is aimed at updating the Federation’s database with current socio-economic indicators that guide the sharing of revenues from the Federation Account among states and local government areas.
He noted that the exercise is intended to promote fairness, transparency, and accuracy in revenue distribution.
It would involve the assessment of key factors such as population size, landmass, availability of social infrastructure, and the internally generated revenue (IGR) capacity of both state and local governments.
According to him, the verification will also consider broader socio-economic development indicators, including access to education, healthcare services, and general living conditions across communities in the state.
He further disclosed that operations within the oil and gas sector, as well as other extractive industries, would be part of the evaluation process due to their relevance to revenue generation.
Tilije added that the exercise would also assess the financial strength and revenue-generating potential of the state and its local government councils in determining their overall IGR capacity.
He therefore directed all affected MDAs to commence work without delay and ensure the submission of detailed, reliable, and accurate data that will support the verification exercise.
The commissioner stressed that the quality and credibility of information provided by MDAs would be critical in ensuring that Delta State is properly represented in the exercise and in the eventual determination of revenue allocation indices.
