THE INJUSTICE OF REVENUE ALLOCATION IN NIGERIA (2) By Ann-kio Briggs.

I am happy that l shared the facts of revenue sharing a week or so ago. I am regretful that l did not share it earlier than this.

I am ready to take on anyone, be they politicians or individuals on the facts. The freedom of information bill compels the FG to give Nigerians the monthly expenditure of oil and gas revenue.

How much does Federal Government owe the NDDC.? How much does the Federal Government owe the Ministry of Niger Delta? How much does the Federal Government owing the Amnesty program? How much does the Federal Government owe the oil and gas producing states?

I call on the oil and gas producing states, and the communities to educate themselves on the FACTS AND LIES ON THE CLAIMS THAT EXPLORATION OF OIL AND GAS IN THE NIGER DELTA WAS CARRIED OUT BY USING NORTHERN RESOURCES.

This claim is divisive and a lie, and will continue to fuel the anger that will continue to hold up our needs to agitate for 101% ownership and control of our God given resources.

As long as people from the North continue to feed these lies to themselves and the rest of Nigeria we in the Niger Delta will not step down from our agitation for ownership and control of our resources.

These claims are lies, they insult and assault us as a people and region, that has made sacrifices the beneficiaries of our natural resources will never make. If some foolish and ignorant Niger Delta people are willing to sell their birth rights the majority of us are not. If the greedy amongst us are willing to be beggars for what is our own, the majority that have been denied and impoverished for over 50 years, are no longer willing to accept these assaults.

FACTS OF FACTS ABOUT THE FUNDING OF OIL AND GAS EXPLORATION IN THE NIGER DELTA.

The first and unsuccessful exploration for oil was in 1908 by Nigeria Bitumen Coy. British Colonial Petroleum around Okitipupa. (Before Amalgamation ).

In 1938 Shell D’Arcy was granted exploration licence to explore for oil.

In 1955, Mobil Oil Corporation started oil exploration in the Niger Delta.

In 1956 Shell BP (formerly Shell D’Arcy) at that time the only concessionaire finally STRUCK oil at Oloibiri in COMMERCIAL quantity, after over 50 yrs of exploration.

There are figures sourced from;
Carland 1985,
(colonial office and Nigeria (1898-1914) and annual report of the colonies.
Northern Nigeria 1904 and annual report of the colonies.
Northern Nigeria 1906 -1907
To support my claims and l will only respond to people who have cross checked or have superior facts to counter mine.

I don’t deal with propaganda or lies. These are my facts bring yours. Nigeria of Southern and Northern protectorate were amalgamated for the simple economic reason that the colonial British government was running the North on deficit as the expenditure in the North was more than its revenue. While the revenue in the South was more than its expenditure.

(And these facts are not about people who are bankers or good with figures it is about facts.)

Therefore unless the North of Nigeria were oil prospecting partners with the Nigeria Bitumen Coy. British Colonial Petroleum in 1908, Shell D’Arcy in 1938, Mobil Oil Corporation in 1955 and Shell BP in 1956 it never used it’s groundnut money in our Niger Delta

If the people of the North or the government of Northern Nigeria were not partners or shareholders in these private investment companies how on earth did money from groundnut and hides and skins used to explore for oil and gas.?

The attempts to change the economic history of Nigeria to justify the injustice of looting the resources from NigerDelta to share amongst a few is not acceptable. The greed of a few to use the Nigeria state to continue to benefit maxzimally from the Niger Delta wealth while denying the rightful owners even the 50% they enjoyed in the days of groundnut and cocoa is no longer acceptable to the people of the Niger Delta.

No amount of twisting, turning, threats, blackmail, and lies will stop our calls for equity and justice.

It was in 1973, 3 years after the civil war, the genocidal war against the Igbos, that the First Participation Agreement (FPA) saw the Federal Government’s acquisition of 35% shares in the oil companies. In 1974 the Second Participation Agreement (SPA) the FG equity was increased to 55%.

MY QUESTION. ON BEHALF OF MY PEOPLE AND REGION TO THE PEOPLE OF THE NORTH TO TELL US THE OWNERS AND IMPOVERISHED PEOPLE OF NIGER DELTA HOW THEIR GROUNDNUT PROCEEDS WAS USED TO FUND OIL PROSPECTING AND OPERATIONS IN MY NIGER DELTA.

We maintain that it is possible for Nigeria to remain a Country, but we must first sit down and agree on a fresh agreement that we will all submit our demands and conditions to if we agree then we agree, if we disagree then we disagree.

But we are no longer prepared to give away the future of our grand children and their children. Surely this is the least that even the North will ask for or demand, if the oil and gas was on and in their land.

THE NORTH DID NOT AND HAVE NEVER USED THEIR GROUNDNUT OIL MONEY IN THE NIGER DELTA TO PROSPECT FOR OIL AND GAS OR ANY OTHER NATURAL RESOURCE PROSPECTING.

ANNKIO BRIGGS
DAUGHTER AND SERVANT OF THE NIGER DELTA.