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| Rt. Hon. Orok Duke, addressing Journalist recently in Calabar |
…Vows to fight for C’River’s right
…gets backing of State government
Ukorebi Esien | 22nd November 2023
The Commissioner representing Cross River at the board of the Niger Delta Development Commission, NDDC, Rt. Hon. Orok Duke has decried the marginalisation of Cross River State by the commission in the sharing of projects and other amenities accruing to the region.
Duke who vowed to correct the abnormality said there’s no section of the act establishing NDDC, that prescribes the distribution of resources among member states following oil production quota. He insisted that the act just as it is in the Northeast Development Commission subscribes to the principle of equality among the 9 states that make up the commission.
While lamenting that Cross River has continuously been short-changed in the agency in the last 23 years, the former lawmaker added that oil production quota is only considered a yardstick in the appointment of a Managing Director for the Commission. A position which he also faulted.
According to him, the Act establishing the NDDC is anchored on equality among the 9 states, and the oil production quota is only considered a yardstick in the appointment of a Managing Director for the Commission.
“There’s no mention of production quota in the whole of NDDC Act. None at all. There’s no sharing formula, the same way it is captured in the Northeast Development Commission. When it comes to derivation, Cross River gets zero. Then they put money in the basket to go and develop the 9 states of the Niger Delta, and you still come to give Cross River zero?
The former lawmaker revealed that about 15per per cent of the state’s accrued revenue from FAAC is deducted monthly and another 50 per cent from ecological funds is also deducted and paid to NDDC. He added that another 3 per cent of IOC is also paid to NDDC. Duke argued that these monies if paid directly to the state and not routed via would be of better benefits to the state.
“Every month, 15 per cent of our budget is deducted, every month 50 per cent of the ecological fund is deducted and paid to NDDC, every month 3 per cent of IOC money is deducted and sent to NDDC. We have a situation where if these monies were deducted and paid to Cross River we will have more than N15 billion per year. But routing it through NDDC we have less, and people think it’s normal and it has been going on for 23 years.
Speaking further Duke said out of the over N900b, the commission will be accessing next year via the 2024 budget, only N15b has been allotted to Cross River State.
“They should stop cheating Cross River State. The same south-south people are subjugating the other state. It is not acceptable. Out of N9OO billion they restrict us to N15billion, and out of the N15billion, they say we cannot spend more than N7billion. What will N7/billion do for Cross
River.” Duke cried out.
The Cross River Representative in the interventionist agency maintained that he has the backing of the executive governor of the state to ensure that the state gets its due in the commission without fear or favour. He therefore charged staff of the commission to work with him in demanding fair and equitable allocation of developmental projects to Cross River.
The NDDC Commissioner who resumed duty in the Cross River State office yesterday 21st November lamented the poor working conditions of staff in the commission, stating that since the days of #EndSarswhene the state’s office was raided, staff have continually worked in very hard conditions