Edwin Clark, an Ijaw national leader and convener of the Pan-Niger Delta Forum (PANDEF), has asked Delta Governor Ifeanyi Okowa to allocate more of the 13 percent derivation funds to oil-producing areas.
Clark claimed in a statement on Thursday that the state government’s 13 percent derivation monies were misused.Information Guide Nigeria
He labeled Okowa’s administration as a “reign of unaccountability”.
According to Section 162, sub-section 2 of the Nigerian constitution, the 13 percent derivation fund is distributed from the federal account to oil-producing communities through state governments.
Clark said the state government has not spent the derivation funds on foremost areas and projects but rather on “favoured areas”.
Other Top Stories:
- Obidients not bullies but angry patriots – Okon Lagos
- APC Holds Gov’ship Primary Rerun In Benue
- Court adjourns Fayose’s claimed N6.9bn fraud trial to March 20
- Fani-Kayode: I Was With Pigs When I Criticised Tinubu
The elder statesman argued that the funds ought to be spent on oil-producing communities’ schools and projects in the state.
He also asked that records of the funds be released to the public.
“The inclusion of the three state higher institutions recently converted by the Delta state government does not qualify under the scheme. There are other three higher institutions that qualify for this conversion in Warri, Burutu, and Agbor,” Clark said.NYSC portal
“You chose Agbor in order to carry out your secret agenda of establishing a University in your village in Owa-Alero. Today, no new building has been constructed in the old College of Education, Agbor.
“The new Osadebey university Asaba used to be part of Delta state university, while it is now singled out to be qualified for the 13 percent derivation, instead of using the monthly allocation and internally generated revenue (IGR), accrued to the state. Why is the old Delta state university, Abraka which is oil-producing, not qualified? Asaba is not qualified because they are not producing oil.
“Ozoro polytechnic which has recently been upgraded to University is qualified because they produce oil, but no new building has been erected since the conversion of the Institution. It was expected that the school of Marine Technology in Burutu which is of the same status as the College of Education, Agbor, and College of Education, Warri would also be upgraded to university level even though; they produced oil in their area.
“We are therefore demanding that the Delta state government should produce the record and amount of 13 percent of funds spent on these projects because failure will allow us to produce our records. In fact, all educational institutions, ranging from tertiary institutions in Delta state are provided for in the yearly budget of Delta state, and they have nothing to do with 13 percent derivation funds.”JAMB Result
