Ijaw leader Chief Edwin Clark yesterday called for the exclusion of Abia, Imo and Ondo states from the Niger Delta Development Commission, NDDC.
He said states outside the coastline should not be part of the commission.
According to him, the states were included in the NDDC Act for convenience, though a political aberration.
The former National Commissioner urged President Bola Tinubu to initiate a bill for the oil-producing states of Delta, Bayelsa, Rivers, Edo and Akwa Ibom.
He said other states should establish a relationship with the oil companies and the Federal Government to have their arrangement.
He wondered whether Bauchi, Sokoto and Kogi would also join NDDC since oil has been discovered in those places.
The elder statesman explained that his stand was due to leadership agitation by the three states in the commission, which he believes the minorities do not deserve.
He argued that a situation where minority shareholders are agitating for the Chairmanship and Managing Director position of the Commission was unwarranted.
Clark said: “It is true that the law provided for the rotation of the executive positions among the states based on the quantity of production but did not mention the sequence of rotation among the states.
“But the Federal Government decided that these executive positions only rotate among the four majorities of oil-producing states i.e. Delta, Akwa-Ibom, Bayelsa and Rivers States based on equity, fair play and justice.
“This is because it will be unreasonable and chaotic to extend it to the minority oil-producing states including Abia, Cross-River, Edo, Imo and Ondo.
“For instance, Imo is producing 1.02 per cent of the total oil production by the nine states.
“The NDDC Act indeed provides for the appointment of Managing Director and the two Executive Directors; Executive Director Finance Administration and Executive Director Projects.
“For all other activities of the NDDC, the Act emphasises the quantity of production of each state…
“It will be unfair and inequitable for a state that produces 1.02 per cent to produce the Managing Director of the NDDC.
“It is, therefore, unreasonable, provocative and selfish for Imo which produces only 1.02 per cent quantum of oil to demand the removal of the chief executives of NDDC board that has been confirmed by the Senate.
“NDDC should remain the six original Niger Delta coastal states.
“All other oil-producing states should establish a relationship with the oil companies and the Federal Republic of Nigeria, particularly now that oil has been found in other parts of Nigeria, including Anambra, which is already producing 0.9 per cent; Bauchi, Gombe, Nasarawa, Kogi, and Lagos states.
“They cannot, therefore, be part of NDDC.”
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According to him, the states were included in the NDDC Act for convenience, though a political aberration.
The former National Commissioner urged President Bola Tinubu to initiate a bill for the oil-producing states of Delta, Bayelsa, Rivers, Edo and Akwa Ibom.
He said other states should establish a relationship with the oil companies and the Federal Government to have their arrangement.
He wondered whether Bauchi, Sokoto and Kogi would also join NDDC since oil has been discovered in those places.
The elder statesman explained that his stand was due to leadership agitation by the three states in the commission, which he believes the minorities do not deserve.
He argued that a situation where minority shareholders are agitating for the Chairmanship and Managing Director position of the Commission was unwarranted.
Clark said: “It is true that the law provided for the rotation of the executive positions among the states based on the quantity of production but did not mention the sequence of rotation among the states.
“But the Federal Government decided that these executive positions only rotate among the four majorities of oil-producing states i.e. Delta, Akwa-Ibom, Bayelsa and Rivers States based on equity, fair play and justice.
“This is because it will be unreasonable and chaotic to extend it to the minority oil-producing states including Abia, Cross-River, Edo, Imo and Ondo.
“For instance, Imo is producing 1.02 per cent of the total oil production by the nine states.
“The NDDC Act indeed provides for the appointment of Managing Director and the two Executive Directors; Executive Director Finance Administration and Executive Director Projects.
“For all other activities of the NDDC, the Act emphasises the quantity of production of each state…
“It will be unfair and inequitable for a state that produces 1.02 per cent to produce the Managing Director of the NDDC.
“It is, therefore, unreasonable, provocative and selfish for Imo which produces only 1.02 per cent quantum of oil to demand the removal of the chief executives of NDDC board that has been confirmed by the Senate.
“NDDC should remain the six original Niger Delta coastal states.
“All other oil-producing states should establish a relationship with the oil companies and the Federal Republic of Nigeria, particularly now that oil has been found in other parts of Nigeria, including Anambra, which is already producing 0.9 per cent; Bauchi, Gombe, Nasarawa, Kogi, and Lagos states.
“They cannot, therefore, be part of NDDC.”
