Why we should be talking about 50% derivation now – Ossai
Politics Sunday, March 18, 2012

By Ben Agande

Hon. Ossai Ossai (PDP Delta) in this interview with Ben Agande says even if the issue of the change in the derivation formula is brought before the House of Representatives, it would be difficult for proponents of the change the required two third majorities to effect the change. Besides, he said the house would be guided in its actions by what is fair and not what is good for only one region.



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Excerpts

How would you react to the call by the governors of the nineteen northern states that the revenue accruable to the oil producing states should be reduced in order to increase the revenue for the northern states?

I think it is their right to agitate. Every individual has a right to agitate for what they think will benefit them. The northern governors have bared their minds and I think it has made it imperative that we should be agitating for the upward review of the derivation funds to 50% as it was in the sixties. The Niger Delta has been calling for this. I will advise the northern governors to pay attention to developing the minerals in their domain so that they can derive more from it. It is high time that they should channel their energies to those areas that can create more capital for them and their people.

The argument has been that the situation where by what one state gets from the Niger Delta for instance is much more than what three or four states in the north gets. How would you defend this?

What is fair to Mr A should also be fair to Mr B. If in the process of producing crude oil, you have destroyed all the fish in the water, the land is no longer productive in any way while in the north, you are having a boom in the agricultural sector, will it be fair for you to tell somebody who has lost everything in the process of providing the resource not to ask for more from what he has given to the nation?

That is not fair. The issue we are talking about is, is it because we are minorities that the Nigerian national would want to treat us this way? What the Niger Delta is asking for is very simple: lets go back to what was obtainable in the sixties whereby 50% is given to any region that provides resources.

Let the Northern governors pay attention to the minerals that is in their land. Instead of building sky scrapper, why not channel the money to developing the mineral sector in their region. That is what we are talking about.

The problem is most governors are lazy. If industries are set up, there would be multiplier effects on the community.

Villages are being destroyed in the Niger delta for the country to get what it is getting.

The future of the children in the Niger Delta is being jeopardized because of the activities of the oil producing companies. When I was young, you could just go to the river and you catch fish. Now you cannot do that.

The argument of the Northern governors is that derivation should be based on oil that is produced on shore and not the one off shore.

Are we saying that because some parts of the land in the north is desert, it minerals are found there they should not benefit from it? If we live in water, everything we have in the water belong to us. It is as simple as that.

Are you not scared that with the numerical strength of the north in the parliament, would it be easy for the revenue formula to be changed?

Can they get two third of members of the parliament? You need two third of members of both chamber to effect such changes. Can they have that? The Nigerian constitution is not easy to change. It is not as easy as people are looking at it.

Beyond that, the legislators we have here do not look at issues from ethnic prism. We are beyond that. The leadership we have in the House of Representatives believe that what is fair to Mr. A should also be fair to Mr. B. he looks at issues and how they can promote national unity and not the cause of a particular region or state.

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