A former member of the House of Representatives from Rivers State, Dr. Farah Dagogo, has renewed his criticism of the allocation of the 13% derivation funds intended for oil-producing communities in the Niger Delta.
Dagogo raised concerns about the utilisation of these funds, noting that the Niger Delta has received trillions of naira over the past 23 years.
He pointed out that governors in the region have already received over N600 billion from the derivation funds in the first half of 2024 alone.
In a statement by Ibrahim Lawal, his Special Assistant on Media and Publicity, Dagogo lamented that despite this significant financial inflow, past governors have failed to improve living conditions for the local communities, which continue to suffer from severe poverty, disease, and inadequate infrastructure.
He also emphasised that while the Federal Government has consistently increased the derivation funds, the region has yet to see corresponding improvements in community welfare.
“In January, N57.92 billion was released to oil-producing states. In February, it rose to N85.10 billion and in March, the Niger Delta oil-producing states got N166.24 billion.
“The sums were N90.12 billion, N120.45 billion and N106.50 billion for April, May and June, respectively.
“Yes, we all agree that this Federal Government has not lived up to its billing but in this instance, you have to agree that and acknowledge that these allocations demonstrate the Federal Government’s continued support for state governments, particularly in oil-producing regions, where the derivation funds serve as a critical source of revenue for addressing their unique challenges,” he added.
Dagogo, a former governorship candidate in Rivers State, asserted that the substantial amounts released for these communities are not being used as intended, leading to a ‘subconscious apathy’ among the local population.
This apathy, Dagogo argued, allows governors to spend the funds in ways that deviate from their constitutional purpose.
Dagogo expressed deep concern over the ongoing mismanagement of the 13 per cent derivation funds, which are intended to address infrastructural decay and environmental degradation in oil-producing areas.
He lamented that rather than acting as responsible stewards, governors have treated these funds as a source of unaccountable revenue, thus exacerbating the plight of the communities.
“This 13 per cent derivation is the fund set aside to assist oil-producing communities tackle infrastructural decay and degradation, my emphasis is on the oil-producing communities! It is a constitutional requirement and what it means basically is that in sharing the federation account revenue, 13 per cent should be set aside to assist the development of these oil-producing communities.
“More than two decades down the line, what is there to show for the humongous monies that have come in? This is a very sad commentary as it relates to the oil-producing communities of the Niger Delta.
“What we have instead are governors trying to impose their stooges to continue that lineage of plundering that fund. That’s the result of most in-fighting between former governors and their installed successors.
“Conduct an investigation into these areas, these oil-producing communities and you will weep when you gauge their abject living conditions with what had been allocated for them. No electricity, no drinking water, no roads, total lack of basic amenities.
“Why are the governors who receive these funds on behalf of these communities, being very indifferent to their plight and having established a line that they would rather fill their pockets with the funds and continue to live large than commit such to the development of the communities?
“The answer sits well with however the governor wishes to expend the fund, as against its constitutional provisions. We need explanation, with irrefutable facts, how the derivation funds to better the lives of the people and their oil-producing communities have been expended.
“Sadly, the expected explanations could only be imagined as it would only amount to looking for a needle in a haystack, it will not produce anything concrete, especially as it seems the people have developed subconscious apathy to their deprivation.
“I want to strongly believe that it is never too late to correct the wrongs of the past. I also want to have a positive conviction that this set of governors will side on the right side of history and do justice to the revenues they are getting on behalf of the oil-producing communities, ” he added.
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