EconomyNewsNigeriaEnugu State yet to benefit of 13% oil derivation revenue – Gov. Peter Mbah

Governor of Enugu State, Dr. Peter Ndubuisi Mbah

The Enugu State Government urges the Federal Government of Nigeria to effect the 13% oil derivation revenue sharing for the state as provided by the 1999 Constitution (as amended).

The Enugu State Governor made this call as he received in audience the Indices and Disbursement Committee of the Revenue Mobilization, Allocation and Fiscal Commission, RMAFC on Tuesday in the Lion Building, Government House Enugu; the RMAFC team came to monitor the disbursements from the Federation Account to the state.

The RMAFC in December 2022 officially recognized Enugu State as an oil-producing state following the recommendation of the Inter-agency Technical Committee which identified Anambra River Basin 1, 2 and 3 as eligible oil fields.

Governor Peter Ndubuisi Mbah said, “We still have this pending issue of Enugu State being recognized as an oil producing state, which your Office actually communicated to us sometime in December 2022 based on the report of the Inter-agency Technical Committee. The Committee came up with a recommendation that Enugu should be benefiting from the 13 per cent derivation of the Anambra River Basin 1, Anambra River Basin 2, and Anambra River 3. But we have still not benefited from those fields.”

Gov. Mbah with the Indices and Disbursement Committee of RMAFC

“So, it is our hope that your Office will put the necessary machinery in motion to ensure that we begin to benefit from that.”

Apart from the request, Governor Mbah disclosed to the Committee of his administration’s feats; “We have grown the state’s IGR by over 400 per cent by broadening the revenue sources and deploying of technology to block leakages.”

“It is our hope that your indices also would be updated to reflect that much growth in our domestic revenue. We hope to actually surpass that. Our IGR in our 2025 budget is over 500 billion. And from the indications, we are going to surpass that projection.”

Earlier, Mr. Ismaila Mohammed Agaka, leader of the RMAFC and Commissioner representing Kwara State at the Commission, commended Governor Mbah’s judicious use of the federal allocations and IGR, transforming the state in just 2 years.

“Before we came, we thought it was one of those media hype that accompany the activities of state governors. But we have gone around. We have seen for ourselves the work going on. I particularly noted that illegal structures have no place again in Enugu. And that is the way it should be. There should be sanity and discipline in the way we do things; and we have seen evidence of that, sir,” Mr. Agaka said.

“I am pleased to note that the Smart Schools, and the Health Centres across the 260 wards are very commendable. It clearly demonstrates the fact that it is clearly the government of the people by the leader of the people in the overall interest of the people,” he said.

“The major aim and objective of this exercise is to assist in identifying any irregularities, misapplication or wrongful application of indices with respect to the indices used in sharing revenue to Enugu State and the local governments from the Federation Account; to examine the actual deductions made before the disbursement to the state and the local governments and to identify possible causes of zero application, if any, to the local government councils with the view to resolving it amicably,” Agaka stated

Ije Ulasi (Regional Correspondent)

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