Governors of the six South South states rose from their summit in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, yesterday with a strong demand for the payment of $130 million to them by the Federal Government.
The amount represents the 13 percent of the $1 billion withdrawn by the Federal Government from the Excess Crude Account (ECA) to buy security equipment.
The South South states noted that even when they had joined others to approve the disbursement of the $1 billion, they have been made to forfeit much more than other states given that the derivation component of the withdrawal that was not captured separately.
In the communiqué issued at the end of the summit, the governors resolved “to press for the release to the Oil producing states, the 13 per cent derivation component of the $1b withdrawn from the Excess Crude Account by the Fed Government to fight insurgency.”
They stated their support, inter alia, in the communiqué read by the Governor of Bayelsa State, Seriake Dickson, for the clamour for Restructuring, fiscal federalism and devolution of power from the centre to the federating units.
The communique reads further: “The governors said for Nigeria to be stable, peaceful and prosperous, it should be restructured. They vowed to work with like minds to make it a reality.”
The communique also flawed the Water Ways Bill now slated for legislation which empowers the Federal Government to own and control the waterways and their resources
The forum was attended by Governors Ifeanyi Okowa (Delta), Seriake Dickson (Bayelsa) and Udom Emmanuel (Akwa Ibom) and Nyesom Wike. Edo State was represented by the Deputy Governor, Phillp Shaibu.
