A Niger Delta group under the umbrella of South-South Study Group, 3SG, has accused Northern lawmakers of being behind a plot to remove the 13 percent oil derivation.
This was contained in a statement on Tuesday by Prince Otoks Dan-Princewill, saying that 59 lawmakers from northern Nigeria are pushing a bill to that effect.
According to the statement, presenting a controversial bill to expunge a provision in the 1999 Constitution will lead to chaos in the South, particularly the Niger Delta.
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The group also warned the National Assembly of the dangers of passing such a controversial bill.
The statement released on Tuesday read;
“This strange Bill will turn the South-South which presently is the only zone that remains relatively peaceful in Nigeria to rapidly degenerate back to militancy and restiveness.
“The Bill seeks to remove the mere 13% the South-South zone gets from the oil obtained for the zone, and otherwise cause inter-communal clashes and restive disharmony.
“Rather than pursue how every zone can get over 13% to the 50% agreed at independence to stimulate productivity and derivation benefits in all states, these legislators are working to remove the meagre 13%.
“This brazen attempt to destroy the already badly damaged national cohesion comes after deliberately stoked conflicts and sustained violent eruptions in the South West and southeast zones.”
“The President upon receipt of advice from the Revenue Mobilization Allocation and Fiscal Commission shall table before the National Assembly proposals for revenue allocation from the Federation Account and in determining the formula, the National Assembly shall take into account the allocation principles especially those of population, equality of States, internal revenue generation, landmass terrain as well as population density, provided that the principle of derivation shall be constantly reflected in any approved formula as being not less than 13 per cent of the revenue accruing to the Federation Account directly from any natural resource.”
Continuing, “For the avoidance of doubt, the no less than 13 per cent provision is itself widely considered meagre and a palpable injustice in the South-South zone. The pollution, destruction of the environment, ecosystem, and the livelihoods of the communities in the zone as well as the fact that other zones consistently received 50% derivation when their economic contributions were larger deepen the sense of injustice.”
“Let the National Assembly be aware that the persistent controversial passing of bills by controversial voice vote, by teleguided and non-transparent process, adjudged or openly or seemingly corrupt practices including these sectional irredentist manicures all tend to deoptimize the National Assembly, its democratic credentials, it’s representative and federal character underpinnings
“Needless to say that Nigeria has problems enough, with the South-South grappling with sundry challenges including grievances over the recently enacted Petroleum Industry Act that already has its teeming population on edge, the South-South Study Group therefore urges that all true patriots and stakeholders should work for national cohesion, justice, equity and peace and refrain from such deliberate provocation. A word is enough for the wise.”
