The Movement for the Survival of the Ogoni People (MOSOP) has called for an amendment to the act establishing the 13.5 percent derivation funds accusing the governors of misappropriating the funds and keeping the Niger Delta region in perpetual poverty.

The President of MOSOP, Fegalo Nsuke, made the assertion in his speech to mark the 31st memorial of the execution of Ken Saro-Wiwa and eight other Ogoni activists by the federal government of Nigeria under late Gen. Sani Abacha.

Nsuke argued that the struggles and sacrifices of martyrs like Ken Saro-Wiwa will not offer any change in the lives of people until the laws specifically direct resource benefits to the regions from where the resources are extracted and those who actually bear the consequences of extraction.

“The idea of derivation funds was to address the underdevelopment in the Niger Delta region. However, the structure of administration of the funds makes it vulnerable to abuse and has left the funds at the discretion of state governors. This needs to be addressed,“ he added.

He explained that the intention of the derivation funds were to address underdevelopment in the oil-producing regions, saying this is not the case as the monies are being discretionarily allocated by governors and not directed at the regions that are generating the revenues.

Citing the case of the Ogba Egbema people of Rivers State, MOSOP President said much of oil revenue in Rivers State come from Andoni and Ogba Egbema local government areas.

“Unfortunately, these regions see little injection of funds for development projects because the monies are left for the governor of Rivers State to decide the priorities rather than directly channeling the funds to the regions from where they were derived.”

He used the occasion to commend the efforts of the current management of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) for its visible impacts on the region, calling for unity in the Niger Delta region as a united region will be capable of holding governors to account for the funds.

While urging the NDDC to do more, he said the commission is one agency that came with the struggles of Ken Saro-Wiwa, and expressed some joy that at least, one agency that came with our struggles is making a difference.

“It is important that the areas from where resources are extracted should get their due rewards and a proportionate injection of the derivation funds. The structure for the administration of the derivation funds needs to change if we must achieve that.

We are pleased that the NDDC under its present management is making some impressive impacts. MOSOP will encourage them to do more.” Nsuke said.

He blamed the high level of poverty in the region of mismanagement of the 13.5 percent derivation funds noting that the revenues that had trickled down to the Niger Delta states since the establishment of the funds were more than enough to address underdevelopment and poverty in the oil producing areas of Nigeria.

“It’s important for the people to be united and hold their governments to account. We think what comes to the oil producing states is significant enough to deal with basic issues such as water provision, security and infrastructure and it is sad that the revenues are being largely mismanaged by the governors because the people are not holding them to account” he added. (The Guardian)