Financial experts have raised concerns over the N790 billion saving from June’s distributable revenue of N1.

The development comes amid an increased 22.79 percent inflation rate, a hike in fuel prices, and an unstable forex market with the naira depreciating against the Dollar, which was at N799 to $1 during the weekend, resulting in hardship.

The Daily Post recalls that on Thursday last week, the federal government distributed N907.054 billion in revenue to federal, state, and local government councils.

The figure presented a substantial differential between the N786.161 and N655.932 billion distributed to the three-tier governments in May and April, respectively.

The increase in revenue is not unconnected with the revenue saved from fuel subsidy removal.

Dele Alake, special adviser to the president on special duties, communications, and strategies, disclosed that out of accrued revenue for June, N790 billion would be saved.

In 2013, the ex-Governor of Rivers State, Rotimi Amaechi, asked the former President Goodluck Jonathan-led federal government to share savings accrued from the Excess Crude Oil Account.

But the situation looks different today, as the state governors seem to be behind Tinubu’s federal government in saving N790 billion from June’s FAAC revenue.

According to the federal government, the savings would complement its proposed Infrastructure Support Fund, ISF.

However, the Daily Post gathered that the government has not established the required legislative framework and policies against the funds’ looting.

To this end, the Center for Fiscal Transparency and Integrity Watch said on Monday that the three tiers of government must ensure they implement the ‘Open Portal Policy’ introduced by former President Muhammadu Buhari’s regime.

Speaking with the Daily Post on Monday, Dr. Basil Chukwu, a Senior lecturer at the Department of Economics and Development Studies at Alex Ekwueme Federal University, Ndufu-Alike, said that instead of the government saving the N790 billion during a period of severe economic shocks, it should be used for salary increments and to boost the capacity of existing refineries.

“There’s nothing wrong with a country saving part of its accrued income for the provision of infrastructure (where there are deficits) and rainy days.

“However, Nigerians are cautious of the government’s promises over time. The last two administrations repeatedly removed oil subsidies and pledged to invest equally in infrastructural development, especially education, health, and roads. These gains, rather than meeting the targets, ended up going unaccounted for.

“Two questions beg for answers. First, what is the guarantee that this move will provide different results, especially given that not much has changed in the command structures of government in the past eight years? Rather than saving during this period of severe shocks on the economy, I think the government should apply the savings to increase salaries and wages to stimulate aggregate demand and fix the ailing refineries to at least operate (if at all) at 30–40 percent installed capacity”, he stated.

On his part, a popular economist and the former President and Chairman of the Council of the Chartered Institute of Bankers, Prof. Segun Ajibola, said it would be prudent for the government to set aside savings for infrastructural development at the grassroots levels.

He noted that apart from savings from fuel subsidy payments, the government had made additional revenue from the recent foreign market reforms introduced by the Central Bank of Nigeria.

“The increase in the amount sharable from the Federation Account arose not just from the savings from petroleum subsidy removal but mainly from the monetization of the foreign exchange component of government revenue at the increased Naira to US$ for June.

“It is prudent, therefore, to set aside a portion of the enhanced Naira revenue for purposes such as infrastructural development at the grassroots. It is also a way of saving for a rainy day.

“One, therefore, hopes that a good template for managing and accounting for the new infrastructural support fund will be put in place”, he stated.

Similarly, an accounting and financial development professor at Lead City University, Ibadan, Prof. Godwin Oyedokun, said that every Nigerian should watch the federal, state, and local governments to ensure that the savings are used for infrastructural development.

According to him, only when the funds are judiciously invested in infrastructural development can the government’s impact be felt by the citizenry.

“The amount that is being saved from increased revenue should reflect on infrastructural development. The States and the local governments must judiciously use the revenue for improved infrastructure,”, he stated.

Meanwhile, Eze Onyekpere, Lead Director of the Center for Social Justice (CSJ), noted that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s administration has no policy or legal framework guiding its decision to save N790 billion from June’s FAAC revenue.

He said: “This new and unprecedented savings fund must be based on a clear legal and policy framework approved through the law-making powers of the National Assembly, based on agreements between the federal and state governments, showing how the funds will be managed, including its distribution, accruing interest, and investment by the three tiers of government.

“The reasons stated for withholding this money may be part of the objectives of the new law, and this is essentially about creating a convergence between fiscal and monetary policy”.

He stated that the proposed ISF should be backed by law and a clearly defined policy framework, not a mere pronouncement.

Onyekpere added that Nigeria’s current economy calls for prudence, accountability, and transparency.

“The hardship in the land demands the greatest value for money in the allocation, expenditure, and management of public finances.

“It is time to reintroduce the practice of publishing allocations to states and local governments in major newspapers and on the Federal Ministry of Finance website.

“Increased transparency in revenue allocation will enhance public awareness and promote accountability in the use of public resources”, he stated.