Northern Elders Want 13% Derivation For Oil Host Communities

Chairman of the northern apex socio-cultural organisation, Arewa Consultative Forum, Gabriel Aduku has called on President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to release the %13 oil derivation revenue directly to the host communities.

Aduku told journalists in Abuja that most of the state governors were misappropriating the money released to them for the communities.

Aduku was an elected member of the Abacha’s Constitutional Conference between 1994 and 1995 and was given the opportunity of being the chairman of the Revenue Allocation committee.

He said, “So for this particular 13 percent revenue derivation formular, I will appeal to the president of the country to ensure that the governors have nothing to do with it,” Aduku said while urging Tinubu to reconsider the implementation and ensure that the host communities benefit directly.

“The implementation of these should be strictly put together. The governors will have nothing to do with the derivation of thirteen percent fund that is in the constitution, it’s for all the communities that are affected.”

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He said derivation is good but implementation has been a problem. “Many of the governors thereafter saw money and they would look at what to do, they would prefer to do the things themselves rather than give it to the people that are affected for the purpose for which it is derived.

“So, that has been wrong, it became a major problem and one of the problems in Nigeria since the 13% derivation came into law during the administration of Obasanjo in particular.

“We have seen what some governors have done with it and it encourages them to aspire to become President of Nigeria since they have money now. They use money as a factor for democracy so unfortunately, it’s one of the evils that have eaten up this country.

“But it can be simply managed if only there is sincerity of purpose in the people. So, I submit again that the derivation factor is a blessing to Nigerians, and in all other considerations it affects the people, because governance is about the people, not about individuals, how much one can make out of it, or how much their friends made out of it.

He said implementation of ideas or critical decisions for the progress of this country has been bedeviled overtime and it appears to continue to get worse. “So my candid input is that we should ensure that that particular 13 percent is allocated to the communities, by identifying the communities and putting an instrument, a management instrument that will be composed of people of integrity within the communities.