$1bn ECA fund: Pay oil producing states 13% –Dickson

From Femi Folaranmi, Yenagoa
 
Bayelsa State Governor, Seriake Dickson, has demanded that 13 percent derivation component of the $1 billion Excess Crude Account (ECA) fund approved by the Nigerian Governors’ Forum (NGF) for the Federal Government to fight insurgency be deducted and sent to the various oil producing states.
He said releasing the 13 percent derivation of the funds to the oil producing states will prevent them from making double contributions to the security funds.
In a statement signed by the Commissioner for Information and Orientation, Daniel Iworiso-Markson, Dickson argued that the implication of the withdrawal, inclusive of the 13 percent, is that the oil producing states would be making double contributions to the security funds.
He said the oil producing states would be contributing not only their statutory allocations like other states, but also their 13 percent derivation fund constitutionally designed to address special circumstances, including security, occasioned by the hazards of oil production.
The statement indicated that Dickson had discussed the issue with the Vice President, Yemi Osinbajo, in his capacity as chairman of the National Economic Council (NEC) and the Zamfara State Governor, Abdulaziz Abubakar Yari, who is the chairman of NGF.
The statement quoted Dickson as noting that while Bayelsa is not against the withdrawal of the funds to enhance national security, the utilisation of the funds involving the armed forces, intelligence services and police must cover every part of the country.
Dickson also demanded that a committee of the NGF be set up to interface with the chairman of NEC and leadership of the national security agencies, to receive briefings on the details of items to be procured.
The statement read in part: “Our position has been that leaders should collaborate on issues of national security and the economy. On these matters, there should be no partisanship or showmanship because these issues touch on the core of our nation and the individual wellbeing of everybody. Secondly, as it has been done before, Bayelsa has no opposition to the withdrawal of money for national security expenditure targeted at improving the capacity of our military and security agencies to protect the territorial integrity of the country and all Nigerians.
“Our position is that the 13 percent derivation element be deducted and sent to the states. Not to do so means that the oil producing states would be contributing from both end; we will be contributing our statutory allocations, like every other state, and then the 13 percent derivation, which is meant to address special circumstances as oil producing states, including security challenges.”