Akwa Ibom Government is said to have collected N280 billion as the 13 per cent crude oil derivation backlog from the Federal Government.
The 13 per cent derivation backlog accrued from 1999 and was approved and released by President Muhammadu Buhari to the benefiting states in tranches.
Last week during commissioning of flyover in Port Harcourt, Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Wike blew the lid by challenging his counterparts in the Niger Delta Region to account for the monies and to tell their subjects what they have used the refunds for to better the lots of the masses.
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The Senator representing Akwa Ibom North East (Uyo) senatorial district at the National Assembly, Obong Bassey Albert, popularly known as OBA, said Wike’s disclosure has validated his exposition that Governor Udom Emmanuel recently received N280 billion from the Federal government without accounting for it.
Akpan, who is Akwa Ibom governorship candidate of the Young Progressives Party, YPP, stated this during a ward-to-ward campaign in East Itam, Itu Local Government of Akwa Ibom State.
OBA at the ward campaign alleged that he was offered billions of naira to leave his governorship ambition and return to the Senate but he rejected the offer.
He noted that the money was the proceeds from the state government’s share of 13 percent derivation arrears paid to Niger Delta States which amounted to N600 billion already collected by the Udom Emmanuel administration.
He lamented that despite the huge sums of money received by the governor, the state has nothing to boast about.
“When I said he (Udom) received N280 billion, they said it was politics. They said I was interested in finance. Yes, I will need Akwa Ibom money to empower the people of Akwa Ibom State as the next Governor…Thank God for Governor Nyesom Wike.
“What Udom has received is enough to develop Itu and Ibiono. All the funds that were not paid to South-South states from oil proceeds put together was $2.56 billion. The amount paid to Akwa Ibom was $1.1 billion (N600 billion). Udom has received over N3 trillion.
‘‘But there is nothing to show for it. Out of that money they asked me to come and receive billions and go back to the Senate, I told them I don’t want it!”.
“I am aware that you are all hungry, but we will satisfy you. As you vote for me and other YPP candidates, your prosperity is coming. Governor Wike has commissioned 12 flyovers, but our Governor struggled to build one.
‘‘We should ask him to tell us what he is doing with our money. Today, our Government owes more than N36 billion in gratuities to our retired civil servants and primary school teachers,” he said.
