Bayelsa State Governor Douye Diri yesterday said the current revenue allocation formula was unfair to the Niger Delta.
He said it was unjust for the Federal Government to take the lion’s share of resources from states.
The governor blamed Bayela’s financial situation on the unfavourable sharing pattern.
Speaking on Channels TV as part of activities to mark his second anniversary, he said Bayelsa has not been treated fairly despite being an oil-producing state.
He said the reason for the clamour for restructuring was so that all states could get their deserved allocation.
“The question I ask myself is, is it just or fair that what is generated here as income comes back to Bayelsa as federal allocation?
“Those are the issues I keep talking about because we can’t have a chunk of the money generated from our land taken to the Federal Government and shared to states and in the end say Bayelsa is insolvent and that’s why we are talking about restructuring.
“That is why the constitution has to be amended. We can’t say a particular land is for the people but what is underneath is for the Federal Government. There is no justice in it.
“And anybody who bandies these figures (of the state being insolvent), you are annoying the people of Bayelsa State, and indeed the people of the Niger Delta.
“So, for us, we need restructuring in a way that we make income and pay taxes to the Federal Government.
“It is because of the unitary system in the name of the federal system that the resources are taken.
“If Bayelsa is said to be insolvent, then the whole of Nigeria is insolvent.
“My point is there is so much wrong with the country and that is why we are moving in cycles of underdevelopment, injustice and almost becoming a failed state.”
The governor believes royalties from gas flaring should go to the communities.
He said: “About the issue of royalties, you can imagine how much the communities and the state suffer from gas flaring but the Federal Government takes the royalties which ought not to be.
“The royalties belong to the people, they are the ones who suffer from the pollutants that result from resources that are from this gas as well as the oil, but there are no funds given to the people; not even the states.
“There are so many people benefitting and eating fat from the injustice. Despite talking about the issue of oil exploitation at several meetings, nothing has been done; and even in the aspect of amending the constitution, I raised this issue at the National Assembly but it was voted out.”
Diri said oil was not developed in Nigeria by money made from cocoa farming.
According to him, many wrongly think that cocoa money was invested into oil exploration in the country.
“A lot of people make a mistake and say we used cocoa money to develop oil. That’s not true.
“Multinational, international oil companies came with the capital in oil exploration and exploitation.
“There was no money from Nigeria, every money that came was monies from those who came to develop oil here. These are the issues Nigeria needs to resolve,” Diri said.
The governor said his administration was working to re-orientate youths to go into farming.
According to him, farming is a priority and everyone in the state is encouraged to key into it.
“Agriculture is a priority for this government, we are working hard to have a change of mindset of our youths to key into Agriculture.
“Tomorrow (today), the Akwa-Ibom governor is coming into Bayelsa to flag off the farming season. He will also superintend over the made-in-Bayelsa Agriculture show.
“Oil is almost going; we cannot continue to live (dependent) on oil. The focus of this government is agriculture. Let us all key into Agriculture,” the governor said.
State to link more communities
Also yesterday, Diri promised that his administration will construct more roads to link communities in the state.
He spoke when his Oyo State counterpart, Seyi Makinde, inaugurated the 4.5km Igbedi community road in Kolokuma/Opokuma Local Government Area as part of activities marking his second anniversary in office.
The governor, in a statement by his Chief Press Secretary, Daniel Alabrah, described the Igbedi road as historic as it was the only community in Kolokuma/Opokuma that hitherto was not connected by road.
The governor lauded the people of Igbedi for owning the project and protecting it, calling on other communities to emulate them.
While expressing gratitude to Makinde for honouring his invitation, Diri also commended the construction company, Paache Limited, for the timely construction of the project despite the challenges it encountered.
He said: “Today is a historic day for Igbedi community, KOLGA and the state. Igbedi was part of the communities that contributed land to build the airport.
“While other communities have been accessible by road, Igbedi was looking for this day and God has brought it to pass.”
Makinde lauded Diri’s performance so far.
He said roads were crucial to the development of any society and described as heartwarming the fact that it was the first tarred road linking the community to the rest of the world since its existence for about 500 years.
Makinde noted that it would boost the economy and usher in development.