Give us our money directly, oil communities tell govt Monday, 24 June 2013 00:00 Written by Babatope Okeowo Oil producing communities in Ondo State have called on the Federal Government to set up a National Administrative Board to handle the 13 per cent oil derivation revenue meant for them The commission, the communities argued, would disburse the money directly to beneficiaries instead of the current system of releasing the fund through state governments which allows for mismanagement. They said the board became necessary because of the alleged failure of state governments to remit monies to the communities for their human and physical development. The call was part of a six-point communiqué issued after a meeting of the Ondo State chapter of Oil and Gas Producing Communities of Nigeria, held at Okitipupa. Former chairman, Ondo State Oil-Producing Areas Development Commission (OSOPADEC), Chief Adewale Omojuwa chaired the meeting attended by representatives of all the traditional rulers in the two riverine local councils of Ilaje and Ese-Odo. The gathering lamented the degradation of the environment and economic deprivation suffered by residents of oil producing areas despite the billions of naira being set aside on monthly basis for their development. The meeting therefore “resolved that the diversion of the 13 per cent allocation fund accruing to the oil and gas producing area to non-oil producing areas will no longer be tolerated as every available machinery or apparatus would be used to counterblast such diversion henceforth.” The stakeholders also called on the “relevant agents or agencies especially, Revenue Mobilization and Fiscal Allocation Commission (RMFAC) to rescue the legitimate oil and gas producing communities from underdevelopment by channelling our 13 per cent Oil Derivation Fund to us as against channelling it through the state governments.” Omojuwa who spoke about the situation in Ondo State, said “this agitation became necessary due to unimaginable neglect, frustration and the poverty-stricken state of the people and communities. “The call now is, give us our money directly; we want to manage it by ourselves. No more third party arrangement, government has failed us, we can’t trust her again.” compassnewspaper.org/index.php/component/content/article/90-front-page-/13987-give-us-our-money-directly-oil-communities-tell-govt
Posted on: Thu, 27 Jun 2013 00:17:47 +0000
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