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Niger Delta Fund Initiative: Bayelsa Finance Commissioner wants FG to pay full 13% derivation formula
By Samuel Oyadongha
Tuesday, August 05, 2003YENAGOA‹ BAYELSA State Commissioner for Finance, Mr. Solomon Apreala, has called on the federal government to pay in full, the 13 per cent derivation fund to the oil producing states. Apreala made the call at a reception organised in his honour following his appointment as the Commissioner for Finance. According to him, "the issue of resource control is indispensable and must be actualised if Nigeria is to practice true federalism," adding that "the federating units should be allowed to control their resources and only pay royalty to the centre."
The Commissioner however commended the state governor, Chief Diepreye Alamieyeseigha for his tireless efforts in the pursuance of this noble course of resource control. He frowned at the refusal of oil companies operating in the state to pay taxes, even as he frowned at the hazards suffered due to oil exploitation and exploration resulting in environmental degradation without corresponding benefits from tax receipts. Apreala further charged oil companies to employ youths in their areas of operation to douse youth restiveness pointing out that it was a fallout of perceived injustices perpetrated by oil companies operating in the area and pledged government's preparedness to provide an enabling environment for uninterrupted operations.
The Commissioner decried the high cost of goods and services in the state and appealed to the business community to bring down prices to a reasonable and acceptable level. He also used the forum to call on banks operating in the state to see themselves as partners in progress with government and urged them to patronise indigenous entrepreneurs by assisting local businesses to grow.
© 2003. Vanguard Media Ltd.
http://www.earthrights.net/nigeria/news/formula.html