13 per cent controversy and Okowa’s prudence

Sir It is no longer news that Governor Nyesom Wike of Rivers State recently made an open declaration that the money he used to construct flyovers across Port Harcourt was part of the funds from the 13 per cent derivation arrears due to Niger Delta states and paid by the President Muhammadu Buhari-led Federal Government. Expectedly, the dust raised by the comment has refused to settle as many stakeholders from the Niger Delta states continue to push forward questions as to how their money was spent.

The Federal Government agreed that yes, this backlog is correct but given the amount of money, we cannot pay you that money in one threshold and therefore decided to pay this same money installmentally over a period of five years. They issued a commitment ‘‘I owe you this amount of money to be paid over five years.’’

He said: “With the agreed amounts settled, some states like Rivers approached commercial banks and discounted theirs in full and collected but Governor Ifeanyi Okowa said he would not want to leave the next administration with a huge debt burden. He resorted to discounting only N150 billion out of the N240 billion expected receivables but later pruned it down to N100 billion. “So far, we have got N14.7 billion in three quarterly installments and we have also accessed N30 billion out of the N100 billion we applied for as bridging finance,” he explained.   Looking at the amount this government has not touched. Okowa is one of the most astute managers of men and resources this country has ever produced and there is hope for the incoming administration in the state as well as the entire Deltans, he concluded.

I hold the opinion that it is time our leaders shun the habit of eating with their ten fingers and imbibe saving culture and prudence.

Utomi Jerome-Mario is the programme coordinator, Media and Policy, Social and Economic Justice Advocacy (SEJA), Lagos.