By Kingsley Chijioke
The disagreement over the ownership of oil deposit in Anambra basin yesterday reverberated again as the former governor of Anambra State and a delegate representing the state, Chief Chukwuemeka Ezeife and the former Chairman of the ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and a delegate representing the party in the conference traded words on the ownership of the oil wells in the basin. Chief Ezeife while contributing on the debate of the report of the committee on Devolution of Power, co-chaired by Obong Victor Attah and Alhaji Ibrahim Commassi which proposed that a special fund shall be created to develop mineral resources in the country, said as the Governor of Anambra State in 1993, he registered Anambra Petroleum Cooperation which every governor have invested in.
The Igbo-Ukwu Anambra Sate born politician maintained that his effort has led to the discovery of crude oil in commercial quantity in Anambra State.
He therefore, urged the conference to recognize Anambra State as an oil producing state.
On the 13 percent derivation retained for Niger-Delta by the committee, Chief Ezeife said that south South region should not be allowed to go empty handed and suggested that 25 percent should be given to the region. “In 1993 as the governor of Anambra state I registered Anambra Petroleum Cooperation and every governor have invested on it. Today we have oil in commercial quantity in Anambra State. I move that the conference should recognize Anambra State as oil producing state. On the issue of derivation, South-South should not be made to go empty handed as their people will ask them what they brought back from the conference. I suggest we better give them 25 percent. Raising a point of observation, Dr. Ahmadu Ali of the famous “Ali Must
Go” while opposing Ezeife’s position on the location of the crude oil, informed that Ezeife is uninformed on the whole issue playing out on the crude oil discovery, saying that the oil belongs to Kogi while the building the Anambra people are calling refinery belongs to them.
He however, pleaded with the conference to dismiss Ezeife’s information on the oil as misleading.
His words, “i want to state categorically that the information given by Ezeife is misleading. They have the building but we have the oil. We are waiting for them to come. He should explain what he did with the money he said he appropriated for the oil. It is our oil” he said. The committee among other things has recommended that the 13% derivation as contained in the 1999 constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (as amended) be retained with a proviso that a percentage of the 13% derivation devolves to the communities (i e host communities) from which the resources are derived.
b. That the issue of offshore/Onshore dichotomy should be left as it is. They also went on to recommend that there should be a constitutional provision for the establishment of a Special Fund for the development of mineral resources in the country; b. That 4.5% of the total revenue accruing to the Federation should be devoted to this Special Fund annually; c. That the Special Fund should be in the form of a Venture Capital Fund; and d. That a competent body be established to administer the Fund according to guidelines that shall be specified by the National Assembly.
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