Oil Money: Akwa Ibom, other states in the spotlight after Wike’s revelation

Governor Nyesom Wike’s revelation that President Muhammadu Buhari had paid to Niger Delta states a backlog for the 13 per cent oil derivation money held back by the federal government since 1999 has put the states in the region in the spotlight.

Mr Wike, during the inauguration of the Port Harcourt campus of the Nigerian Law School on Friday, said it is the oil money approved and paid during Mr Buhari’s administration that he has been using to execute multi-billion naira projects in Rivers.

“The truth is that, and let me say it for the first time, and many people have been asking me, ‘where do you get money for all these projects?’.

“Let me say it, and I want the attorney general to thank Mr President for monies that were not paid to the Niger Delta states, from 1999, the 13 per cent derivation money that was not paid, Mr President approved and paid all of us in the Niger Delta States. And for me, it would be unfair not to tell the public. It is not money from FAAC. It is money paid to Rivers State, Akwa Ibom State, Edo State, Bayelsa State, Delta State, and I thank God.

“That is why, since 2019 till now, we have been commissioning projects in the state,” Mr Wike said.

Mr Wike said the Rivers State Government spent N17 billion on building the Port Harcourt campus of the law school.

Mr Wike’s “it would be unfair not to tell the public” remark makes it appears as if other governors in the Niger Delta region had concealed the information about the receipt of the money the governor said Mr Buhari had paid to all the states in the Niger Delta.

The governor later on, during a banquet organised in Port Harcourt by the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Rivers State on Friday night for the G5 governors, challenged other governors in the Niger Delta region to point to what they have been doing with the money received from the federal government, according to a report by Channels TV.

“I am not an Apostle of Buhari; he is not my friend but I have no regret to appreciate him for paying the money meant for the Niger Delta states. He has paid. Let everybody come and account for it,” the report quoted Mr Wike as saying.

The G5 governors were in Port Harcourt to take part in the flag-off of the state-level campaign by the Rivers State chapter of the PDP.

Now, Nigerians are renewing the calls for accountability from the governors in the Niger Delta region, after Mr Wike’s remarks.

‘Akwa Ibom, where is your money?’As soon as Mr Wike’s remarks went viral, a blogger in Akwa Ibom State, Paul Bassey, shared on Facebook the clip containing the governor’s remark, and posted a question, “Akwa Ibom, where is your money?”

Another Facebook user, Emmanuel Agbogun, did a similar thing – shared the clip on Facebook and posted a comment, asking Governor Godwin Obaseki of Edo State what he has done with the oil derivation money his administration has received so far.

A chieftain of the All Progressives Congress in Akwa Ibom, Etim Etim, quickly authored an opinion article on the matter, which he published on Facebook on Saturday.

“It is a big shame and quite unconscionable that Governor Udom Emmanuel has not disclosed that he had received this derivation arrears from the federal government,” Mr Etim said in the article.

Mr Etim said Mr Emmanuel “flew into rage and excoriated” a governorship candidate in the state who hinted “a few weeks ago” that the Akwa Ibom State Government received “N250 billion as its own payment” from the federal government.

“I have written about this matter a lot, and I will say for the umpteenth time that Governor Udom Emmanuel has a constitutional and moral obligations to inform us of monies he had received from the federal government, including the recent derivation windfall, since he came into office in May 2015,” the APC chieftain said.

Several people have made similar comments on social media, calling on Governor Emmanuel and the other governors to respond to Governor Wike’s challenge on accountability.

‘Obaseki not fulfilling campaign promises’“Edo State government after about six years in office has failed to achieve any of his (Obaseki) electoral campaign promises, from the gele gele seaport to the industrial park.

“It has been reported severally that Edo has signed countless MOUs with various firms abroad and till date none of those MOUs has been effective to the development of the state,” Chris Uhunmwangho, said in an opinion article he posted on Facebook about the revelation from Governor Wike.

Mr Uhunmwangho said Governor Obaseki could have at least taken up the repairs of the dilapidated Benin-Sapele Road, “for a state that does not have even one fly over or meaningful projects”.

The governorship candidate of the Young Progressives Party in Akwa Ibom, Bassey Albert, took up the matter during his campaign rally in the state, and accused Mr Emmanuel of not doing enough for the state and its people.

According to Channels TV report, Mr Wike challenged a particular politician, who is his critic, to tell his state governor to account for the refunds received from the federal government.

“@GovWike said Buhari has paid all Niger Delta states the backlog of owed oil derivation payments since 1999 till date. Please, what did Okowa do with Delta State’s money? Why is Delta State still borrowing money, with no projects to show?” a Twitter user, @AdannaPapa, said on the microblogging site.