By Daniel Ogiriki
When the Delta State Oil Producing Areas Development Commission, DESOPADEC was set up in 2006, the productions from the numerous marginal fields in Ndokwa Nation was not included in the production quantum that was used in determining the sharing formula. It will be recalled that the license for the Marginal fields were awarded in year 2005 by the Federal Government of Nigeria. As at the time that DESOPADEC was set up in 2006, these marginal fields were yet to start production and as such were not included in the calculation of the production quantum in DESOPADEC.
As far as Ndokwa Nation is concerned, it is only the production by the Nigerian Agip Oil Company (NAOC) that was used to calculate the share of Ndokwa Nation in DESOPADEC. This means that the production from the over 8 major Oil companies in Ndokwa Nation is yet to reflect in DESOPADEC sharing formula, yet the production by these major Oil companies is the reason Delta State currently occupies the number one spot in oil production in Nigeria as can be seen in the fact that Delta State is currently the number one state in Federal Allocation. This is evidently seen in the data’s of the FAAC for 2019 which was recently released by the Federal Government where Delta State was ranked number one in the whole of the federation.
The productions from Sterling Global, Pillar Oil, Midwestern Oil and Gas, Platform Petroleum Limited, Chorus Energy, Energia, and others have started reflecting in Delta State production at the National level but is yet to start counting at the state level. This is certainly the height of injustice by the current Delta State Government as led by Gov Ifeanyi Okowa. These type of injustice is capable of causing crisis in Delta State if not properly handled. To make things worse, the Delta State Government was quick to include Ika nation into DESOPADEC but kept mute on the issue of the quantum review.
So is Gov Ifeanyi Okowa telling Deltans that his own Ika nation is currently having zero sharing formula in DESOPADEC? This is the peak of injustice and it should be addressed as a matter of urgency. The gentleness of Ndokwa Nation is obviously been taken for a ride by the current Government of Delta State. I call on all well meaning Ndokwa people to join their voices to condemn the Delta State Government on this great injustice against us as a people. It’s so bad that our own Delta North Governor is the one treating us like this.
The current sharing formula in DESOPADEC is; Itsekiri have 29 percent; Ijaw, 27 percent; Urhobo, 21 percent; Isoko, 14 percent, and Ndokwa, 9 percent with Ika having percent. It’s time for Ndokwa Nation in particular and Deltans in general to write the Department of Petroleum Resources (DPR) using the Freedoom Of Information (FOI) Act to demand for the full details of the production quantum of each ethnic nationality in Delta State.
Am using this opportunity to call out the various bodies in Ndokwa Nation to speak up on this burning issue before it snowballs into a crisis situation. Am calling on the leadership of Ndokwa Neku Union (NNU), the Ndoshimili Development Union, (NDU), Ukwuani Foundation Union (UFU), NDOKWA Hotscom, Ndokwa traditional rulers/Town PGs? All Ndokwa Youth bodies, All Ndokwa elected/selected representatives starting from the member representing Ndokwa Nation at the Federal House of Representatives to speak out now.
