••• SAYS N1.1 TRN STILL OUTSTANDING
The Presidency on Friday said that the Federal Government has paid the sum N625.43 billion 13 percent oil derivation, subsidy and SURE-P refunds from the Federation Account to
nine oil-producing states in the last two years, 2021-2022.
A statement by the Senior Special Assistant to the President (Media & Publicity), Mallam Shehu Garba, on Friday listed the states to include Abia, Akwa-Ibom, Bayelsa, Cross River, Delta, Edo, Imo, Ondo and Rivers.
Shehu said that data obtained from the Federation Account Department, Office of the Accountant General of the Federation, showed “that a total of N477.2 billion was released to the nine states as refund of the 13 percent derivation fund on withdrawal from Excess Crude Account (ECA) without deducting derivation from 2004 to 2019, leaving an outstanding balance of N287.04 billion.”
He stated also that the “States also got N64.8 billion as refund of the 13 per cent derivation fund on deductions made by NNPC without payment of derivation to Oil Producing States from 1999 to December.”
According to him, the benefitting states still have an outstanding balance of N860.59 billion refunds already approved by the President.
He said that the states were paid in eight instalments between October 2, 2021 and January 11, 2022, while the ninth to twelfth instalments are still outstanding
Shehu who gave a breakdown of what was received by each state and the outstanding said in the statement that the refund to the oil producing would continue.
He said, “According to the figures, under the 13 per cent derivation fund on withdrawal from ECA without deducting derivation from 2004 to 2019, Abia State received N4.8 billion with outstanding sum of N2.8 billion, Akwa-Ibom received N128 billion with outstanding sum of N77 billion, Bayelsa with N92.2bn, leaving an outstanding of N55 billion.
“Cross River got a refund N1.3 billion with a balance N792 million, Delta State received N110 billion, leaving a balance of N66.2 billion, Edo State received N11.3billion, with a balance of N6.8billion, Imo State, N5.5 billion, with an outstanding sum of N3.3 billion, Ondo State, N19.4 billion with an outstanding sum of N11.7bn while Rivers State was paid 103.6 billion, with an outstanding balance of N62.3 billion.”
Shehu stated further that the nine oil producing states were paid in three installments in 2022 with 17 installments left on the 13 percent derivation funds on deduction made by the NNPC without payment of derivation.
“Under this category, Abia State received N1.1 billion, Akwa-Ibom, N15 billion, Bayelsa, N11.6 billion, Cross River, N432 million, Delta State, N14.8 billion, Edo State, N2.2 billion, Imo State, N2.9, billion, Ondo State, N3.7 billion, and Rivers State, N12.8 billion.” He explained.
He added that the benefitting States shared N9.2billion in three instalments in April, August and November 2022 as refunds on the 13 per cent derivation exchange rate differential on withdrawal from the ECA.
He gave the three largest benefitting States as Akwa Ibom (N1.6billion), Delta State (N1.4billion) and Rivers State (N1.32billion).
He stated also that all the nine states received N4.7 billion each, totalling N42.34 billion as refunds on withdrawals for subsidy and SURE-P from 2009 to 2015. He said the refund, which is for all the states and local government councils, was paid on 10th November, 2022.
He disclosed that the Federation Account also paid N3.52billion each as refund to local government councils on withdrawals for subsidy and SURE-P from 2009 to 2015 on the same date in November.
“President Buhari considers it a matter of honour and decency that debts owed to states or anyone for that matter be repaid, and in time without regards to their partisan political affiliations.
“The President will continue to render equal service to all the states of the federation and an acknowledgment of this by Governor Nyesom Wike of Rivers State and the others is not out of place.” He added
