Host Communities of Nigeria, HOSCON, an oil and gas body, has asked President Muhammadu Buhari to probe the management of13% Derivation Fund so far released for the development of the oil producing Niger Delta.
Last week, the president ordered a probe of all funds given the Niger Delta Development Commission, NDDC, since inception, following revelations of alleged huge financial fraud in the commission.
But HOSCON in a statement urged President Buhari to extend the probe to the 13% Derivation Fund, so far been paid to the nine state governments in the Niger Delta league. Okakuro Monday Whiskey, HOSCON’s national director of Media and Publicity, said that just like the NDDC, about N44 trillion had accrued to the oil producing states under the 13% Derivation Fund but that not much development has been achieved in the region.
“The Host Communities of Nigeria (HOSCON) under the leadership of Dr Mike Emuh joins millions of Nigerians to commend President Muhammadu Buhari for the bold initiative to order for forensic probe of the NDDC. For nineteen years running, billions of naira has been allocated without commensurate infrastructural facilities to show for it.
Said the organisation: “For the Niger Delta governors, whose management of 13% Derivation Fund is today generating a lot of controversy because of huge mismanagement and outright embezzlement of funds meant for human capital and infrastructural development of their respective states, to want to tell the president on how to appoint people into NDDC is most uncharitable and unbecoming of them.
“HOSCON will want the president to urgently redirect the management of 13% Derivation Fund as the current governors’ management efforts is more bedevilled with fraud than is currently obtained in the NDDC.”
“The redirection of 13% Derivation Fund remains the only solution to the multi-trillion naira fraud that occurred in the current management regime of 13% Derivation Fund. Just like the NDDC, the 13% Derivation Fund has received over N44trillion in the past nineteen years and if we want to be fair to ourselves we should be bold enough to say nothing tangible is on ground to justify these huge allocations.
“We should support these bold initiatives of President Muhammadu Buhari to ensure that the right things are done now to guarantee a better future for the rich oil/gas region. NDDC fund, just like 13% fund, are not free money that some few individuals can appropriate to themselves without questioning or check. A new Sheriff is, indeed, coming to town.”