N-Delta govs accused of hijacking over N1trn annually

Oil and solid minerals producing communities, weekend, accused the political class and state governors in the Niger Delta region of hijacking funds meant for the development of the region, totaling over N1 trillion annually.

The communities, under the aegis of Oil and Solid Minerals Producing Areas Landlords’ Association of Nigeria, OMPALAN, claimed that the region’s elected representatives had betrayed the trust of the people they were representing by persistently short-changing host communities with impunity. 

In a statement in Abuja, on behalf of the communities, Chairman, Board of Trustees, OMPALAN, Mr. Udo Azogu, stated that respite could only come to oil producing areas when the Federal Government mustered enough courage to stop the alleged recklessness and lawlessness of governors of oil producing state who mismanage oil-related palliative programmes. 

He said: “Robust palliative programmes such as the Niger Delta Development Commission, NDDC, Ministry of Niger Delta Affairs, 13% Oil Derivation Fund Commission, Ecological Fund and Amnesty packages, among others, worth trillions of Naira annually, established by the Federal Government in quick succession to cushion the harsh effects of acute environmental challenges in host (oil producing) communities have been hijacked by the tiny but, influential political class in the oil-rich regions to the extent that simple survival in these communities had become a measure of success.” 

He maintained that President Muhammadu Buhari must tell oil producing state governors to stop tampering or meddling with 13% Oil Derivation Funds that accrued to their states. 

Azogu argued that the governors must give the NDDC and Ministry of Niger Delta Affairs the free hand to deliver, alleging that open diversion of huge mitigation funds running into millions and billions of Naira with impunity, hiding under the masquerade of immunity, must stop. 

According to him, these governors constituted a great threat to both security and democracy as they sacked elected local government administrations and took over their funds, divert 13% oil derivation funds to the detriment of impacted communities, use ecological funds at their whims and caprices, while the rubber-stamp state parliaments watch with consuming admiration. 

He further stated that while the group believed that it was  justifiable and proper that oil blocks be allocated to the regions that produce oil, it must be properly considered to meet the ends of justice to the benefit of the common man and not allocated to the same vicious oligarchy that shortchanged the system with impunity. 

But reacting, Dr Austin Tam-George, Rivers State Commissioner for Information and Communications, said oil bearing communities were part of an integrated development plan of the Rivers State Government. 

According to him: “Governor Nyesom Wike spends every kobo in developing Rivers State.”