Governor Douye Diri of Bayelsa State has urged Nigeria to revisit Fiscal Federalism review the country’s revenue derivation formula in, frowning at the existing formula where resource-endowed states in Nigeria, particularly in the Niger Delta, get only 13 per cent as monthly allocation from their God given resources.
He complained that the country’s lopsided federalism practice is inimical to the development of states. Governor Diri stated this in Houston, Texas, over the weekend when Ijaws in the United States of America and Canada conferred on him the award of “Icon of Unity and Social Justice.” The Ijaw National Congress INC – America’s in a three-day 2024 convention also honoured Dame Patience Jonathan, former First Lady, Minister of State for Petroleum (Oil) Heineken Lokpobiri, King Bubaraye Dakolo, a renowned author an The Ibenanaowei of Ekpetiama Kingdom.
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Governor Diri appreciated the organisers for upholding the Ijaw tradition and culture even in the diaspora, while receiving the award, urging them not to allow the fire of Ijaw Nationalism that had been ignited to extinguish ,he called on them to sustain the annual event, pledging the support of his administration.
“This annual convention offers an opportunity for Ijaws in the diaspora to continue to associate with themselves.
I urge the INC in America not to allow the Ijaw fire to be put out. My administration will support you to sustain the Ijaw culture and tradition here in America.” Governor Diri said. The governor used the occasion to called on the Ijaw ethnic nationality to sustain their leadership role in The Niger Delta Region. “The leadership of the Niger Delta has been with the Ijaws over the years. Now it looks like we are getting tired. But we should not.
We have to continue with our leadership role while galvanising support from our neighbours and brothers in the region. “The Niger Delta is an area that should be better than it is if we were allowed to use our resources for our development. Since I arrived in this country, what crossed my mind has been how Bayelsa would be if we practised true federalism whereby we get 100 per cent of our revenue from oil and gas and not 13 per cent as it is today. Maybe we would have had one small Houston in Yenagoa.”
Diri continued. He frowned at the insinuation that Bayelsa State is insolvent and cannot survive without Federal Allocation while their resources are carted to Abuja and shared to all. “You cannot take away the resources in my state and the internally generated revenue that would have accrued to us and expropriate it in the name of the Federation Account Allocation Committee (FAAC).
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Every month end, the 36 states in the country gather in Abuja to share resources accruing from my state and they still come back to insult us that our state is insolvent. “I have never seen anywhere in the world where the essence of the FAAC is to share revenue only from oil and gas. What about the revenue from other mineral resources like gold? Why are they not also shared? This is the naked truth.”
Governor Diri added. Dignitaries who graced the well-attended occasion includes The President of the INC, Prof. Benjamin Okaba; one of his predecessors, Chief Joshua Fumudoh; Chairman, INC-Americas, Mr. Kenneth Anga, as well as former Managing Director of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC), Chief Ndutimi Alaibe.
