WARRI— THE decision of 22 states including 19 from the North to go to the Supreme Court, asking it to void the abolition of the onshore-offshore oil dichotomy has triggered a chain of reactions especially from the South-South.
The states— Adamawa, Bauchi, Benue, Borno, Gombe, Gongola, Jigawa, Kaduna, Kano, Katsina, Kebbi, Kogi, Nasarawa, Niger, Plateau, Sokoto, Taraba, Yobe, Zamfara, Oyo, Osun and Ekiti—say the Act grossly offends the provisions of the 1999 constitution and sundry ancillary laws of the land.
They are, therefore, asking the apex court to issue an order stopping forthwith the Revenue Mobilisation, Allocation and Fiscal Commission from implementing and relying on the Act for the purposes of allocating revenue to states and local governments from the federation account.
Reacting on behalf of the Delta State government to the filing of the suit, special assistant to the governor on media, Mr. Abel Oshevire, said: “The people of Niger Delta feel very disappointed and betrayed by the action of those 22 states to deny us our rights. It is an attempt to continue to marginalise the people of Niger Delta region as well as treat us as second class citizens of Nigeria. But we want to assure them that this time around every person in Niger Delta region will insist on his or her right because we believe that we have sacrificed too much for this country.”
Asked what would be the next line of action should the court action succeeds, he said: “We don’t expect that the honourable members of the judiciary will allow this attempt to deny a people their right to succeed.”
Also reacting, former chairman of the Nigeria Bar Association (NBA), Mr. O. C. J. Okocha, said: “I am not aware of the call by Northern leaders for the return of the onshore/offshore dichotomy, but if they have made such demand, I would say that’s a retrogressive step. I thought we had decided to take steps to move forward but if they have made such calls, it is rather unfortunate. “I would say it is the highest demonstration of insensitivity to the plight of the people in the Niger Delta. They should not forget that Nigeria is yet to be negotiated," he said.
APGA condemns move
The All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) condemned the action by the 22 states, saying their action was propelled by selfishness and greed. National Chairman of the party, Chief Chekwas Okorie, reacting to the legal action instituted by the 19 Northern states and three southern states namely Oyo, Osun and Ekiti, said the suit “is in a bad taste,” warning that its reintroduction would “bring down the country.”
Said he: “The issue of revenue allocation in Nigeria, everybody knows, had been badly managed to the detriment of the Niger Delta people. When Nigeria was generating income through other sources than oil, everybody knows that revenue allocation was 50 per cent by derivation. Following the civil war, it was reduced to one per cent and later on three per cent and finally came up to 13 per cent and even that 13 per cent is not given.
“So, the removal of the onshore-offshore dichotomy was an attempt to placate members of the Niger Delta. The South-West had been placated with the presidency because they felt that Chief MKO Abiola was deprived of the presidency. So, the South-West was placated with the presidency. The North had been a major beneficiary of revenue that no longer comes from their area."
