Militants Issues Fresh Directive To Niger Delta Governors, Buhari

RNDA made this known in an electronic mail on Thursday by its Commanding Officer, 'Maj.-Gen. Johnmark Ezon-Ebi, after the coalition rose from its emergency meeting allegedly convened in the creeks.

The coalition of militant groups also urged President Muhammadu Buhari to stop paying the 13 percent derivation funds to the governors.

According to the Niger Delta militants, from 2018 to date, the federal government has given between N50trillion and N55trillion to governors of the region.

RNDA asked the Buhari administration to pay the 13 percent derivation directly to the oil and gas producing communities in the interest of peace.

While insisting that the precious derivation collected by the governors did not impact on the host communities and the people, the group said governors of the oil-producing states had collected the whopping amount apart from the internally generated revenue and monthly allocations from the Federation Account, excluding Excess Crude money, Paris Club bailout funds, monthly security funds and other funds.

It said: "The RNDA, the coalition of militant groups agitating for the overall development of the Niger Delta, most especially for the betterment of the oil and gas producing communities in the creeks, has challenged governors of the Niger Delta to give proper account of over N55 trillion they have collected so far from the Federation Account on 13 per cent derivation from 1999 to 2021.

"The amount is without the IGRs and monthly allocations from the Federation Account. From 1999 to 2018, according to financial records obtained by us, the Niger Delta oil-producing states have received over N44.68 trillion and from 2018 to 2021 they have collected over N50 trillion.

"Despite that Southsouth oil producing governors are of the opposition party, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), President Muhammadu Buhari of the All Progressives Congress (APC) has never denied them the 13 per cent derivation funds monthly.

"The President also has never denied them even the Paris Club bailout funds. They were given to them in billions of naira for over two consecutive times, yet these Southsouth six oil producing states' debt profile is huge and running into over N1.25 trillion.ÔÇØ