Militants To Niger Delta Govs: Account For N55trn Of 15% Derivation Allocation

A coalition of militants in the Niger Delta under the aegis of
the Reformed Niger Delta Avengers (RNDA) has called on the Niger
Delta governors to account for alleged N44.68trn of 13 per cent
derivation allocation from 1999 to 2018.

The RNDA also claimed that financial records available to them
indicated that as from 2018 till date, the 13 per cent derivation
funds collected by the region’s governors had accumulated to
between N50trn and N55trn.

The coalition, therefore, demanded that President Muhammadu
Buhari should henceforth stop paying the 13 per cent derivation
funds to the governors of the region.

Instead, the group recommended that the 13 per cent derivation
should be paid directly to the oil and gas producing communities in
the interest of peace since the previous ones collected by the
governors did not impact positively on the host communities and the
people.

These positions are contained in an electronic mail on Thursday
by the RNDA Commanding Officer, ‘Major General’ Johnmark Ezon-Ebi,
after the coalition rose from their emergency meeting allegedly
convened in the creeks of the region.

The coalition claimed that the governors of the oil-producing
states had collected the said whopping amount of money apart from
the internally generated revenues and monthly allocations from the
Federation Account excluding Excess Crude monies, Paris Club
bailout funds and monthly security funds and other funds.

RNDA also pointed out that President Muhammadu Buhari released
Paris Club bailout funds to the governors running into billions of
naira but unfortunately, the debt profile of the oil producing
states in the region amounted to over N1.25 trillion.

It said: “The Reformed Niger Delta Avengers (RNDA), coalition of
militant groups that is agitating for the overall development of
the Niger Delta region, most especially for the betterment of the
oil and gas producing communities in the creeks, has challenged
governors of the Niger Delta to give proper account of over N55
trillion they have collected so far from the Federation Account on
13 per cent derivation from 1999 to 2021.

“The amount is without the IGRs and monthly allocations from the
Federation Account. From 1999 to 2018, according to financial
records obtained by us, the Niger Delta oil-producing states have
received over N44.68 trillion and from 2018 to 2021 they have
collected over N50 trillion.

“Despite that South-south oil producing state governors are of
the opposition party, People’s Democratic Party (PDP), President
Muhammadu Buhari of the All Progressives Congress (APC) has never
denied them of the 13 per cent derivation funds monthly.

“President Buhari also has never denied them even the Paris Club
bailout funds. They were given to them in billions of naira for
over two consecutive times and yet these South-south six oil
producing states’ debt profile is huge and running into over N1.25
trillion.”

The group also vehemently opposed the claim of the South-south
governors by blaming the region’s underdevelopment on failure to
inaugurate the board of the Niger Delta Development Commission
(NDDC).

The group also accused the governors of abandoning and
neglecting the development of the oil producing communities thereby
causing the youth to be restive and agitative.

The RNDA appealed to President Buhari to establish a commission
to be christened ‘Nigeria Oil and Gas Derivation Commission
(NOGDEC)’ as a matter of urgency to be handling the 13 per cent
derivation funds and the commission should include the
representatives from the oil producing communities.

It said the proposed NOGDEC would be a panacea for the reduction
of militancy and agitations in the creeks as well as give a sense
of belonging to the Niger Delta people, particularly those from the
oil-producing communities.

A coalition of militants in the Niger Delta under the aegis of
the Reformed Niger Delta Avengers (RNDA) has called on the Niger
Delta governors to account for alleged N44.68trn of 13 per cent
derivation allocation from 1999 to 2018.

The RNDA also claimed that financial records available to them
indicated that as from 2018 till date, the 13 per cent derivation
funds collected by the region’s governors had accumulated to
between N50trn and N55trn.

The coalition, therefore, demanded that President Muhammadu
Buhari should henceforth stop paying the 13 per cent derivation
funds to the governors of the region.

Instead, the group recommended that the 13 per cent derivation
should be paid directly to the oil and gas producing communities in
the interest of peace since the previous ones collected by the
governors did not impact positively on the host communities and the
people.

These positions are contained in an electronic mail on Thursday
by the RNDA Commanding Officer, ‘Major General’ Johnmark Ezon-Ebi,
after the coalition rose from their emergency meeting allegedly
convened in the creeks of the region.

The coalition claimed that the governors of the oil-producing
states had collected the said whopping amount of money apart from
the internally generated revenues and monthly allocations from the
Federation Account excluding Excess Crude monies, Paris Club
bailout funds and monthly security funds and other funds.

RNDA also pointed out that President Muhammadu Buhari released
Paris Club bailout funds to the governors running into billions of
naira but unfortunately, the debt profile of the oil producing
states in the region amounted to over N1.25 trillion.

It said: “The Reformed Niger Delta Avengers (RNDA), coalition of
militant groups that is agitating for the overall development of
the Niger Delta region, most especially for the betterment of the
oil and gas producing communities in the creeks, has challenged
governors of the Niger Delta to give proper account of over N55
trillion they have collected so far from the Federation Account on
13 per cent derivation from 1999 to 2021.

“The amount is without the IGRs and monthly allocations from the
Federation Account. From 1999 to 2018, according to financial
records obtained by us, the Niger Delta oil-producing states have
received over N44.68 trillion and from 2018 to 2021 they have
collected over N50 trillion.

“Despite that South-south oil producing state governors are of
the opposition party, People’s Democratic Party (PDP), President
Muhammadu Buhari of the All Progressives Congress (APC) has never
denied them of the 13 per cent derivation funds monthly.

“President Buhari also has never denied them even the Paris Club
bailout funds. They were given to them in billions of naira for
over two consecutive times and yet these South-south six oil
producing states’ debt profile is huge and running into over N1.25
trillion.”

The group also vehemently opposed the claim of the South-south
governors by blaming the region’s underdevelopment on failure to
inaugurate the board of the Niger Delta Development Commission
(NDDC).

The group also accused the governors of abandoning and
neglecting the development of the oil producing communities thereby
causing the youth to be restive and agitative.

The RNDA appealed to President Buhari to establish a commission
to be christened ‘Nigeria Oil and Gas Derivation Commission
(NOGDEC)’ as a matter of urgency to be handling the 13 per cent
derivation funds and the commission should include the
representatives from the oil producing communities.

It said the proposed NOGDEC would be a panacea for the reduction
of militancy and agitations in the creeks as well as give a sense
of belonging to the Niger Delta people, particularly those from the
oil-producing communities.