ON THE NIGER DELTA: INC, IYC, NIGER DELTA FREEDOM FIGHTERS AND OTHER REGIONAL GROUPS SHOULD SUPPORT THIS IDEA FOR TRUE DEVELOPMENT

A prominent Niger Delta rights activist, Senior Comrade Joseph Evah, has called on the Federal Government to halt the current practice of releasing the 13% derivation funds to governors of oil-producing states. Instead, he advocates for the funds to be channeled directly to reputable construction companies for developmental projects in the region.rnrnEvah stated that the continued mismanagement of the derivation funds by state governors has hindered visible progress and genuine transformation in the Niger Delta despite decades of oil wealth.rnrn“Give the 13% derivation money to Julius Berger, G. Cappa, RCC, and others instead of the governors, and charge these companies to turn the Niger Delta into another Abuja. That was how General Babangida once gave crude oil to Julius Berger in exchange for massive construction in Abuja,” he said.rnrnHe lamented that over the years, Niger Delta state governors have failed to provide clear and transparent accounts of how the 13% derivation funds have been utilized, leaving communities impoverished and underdeveloped.rnrnEvah therefore urged regional organizations such as the Ijaw National Congress (INC), Ijaw Youth Council (IYC), Niger Delta Freedom Fighters (Now,Ex-agitators Forum),and other Niger Delta pressure groups to support the call and push for reforms that would ensure the derivation funds achieve their intended purpose.rnrn“It’s time for the people to rise above rhetoric and insist on a system that guarantees transparency and development,” he emphasized.rnrn~Chief Inko Brightstar Reporting for RealNaijaGist