Governor Nyesom Wike of Rivers State has revealed that President Muhammadu Buhari approved and paid the 13 percent derivation arrears to Rivers, Bayelsa, Delta, Edo, and Akwa Ibom states.
This statement has made stakeholders wonder how the other South-South states spent their arrears.
Wike spoke last Friday during the inauguration of the N17billion Port Harcourt Campus of the Nigerian Law School.
The governor said President Buhari’s gesture was the major source of revenue for his projects, including the flyovers, the law school, and the cancer center.
He said: “Monies that were not paid to the Niger Delta states since 1999, mainly 13 percent deductions, the President approved and paid to all of us in Niger Delta states.”
Stakeholders have started asking questions of their governors on how they spent or are spending their shares of the money.
Bayelsa stakeholders took to social media over the slow pace of development amidst huge resources.
The Commissioner for Finance, Maxwell Ibiza, said: “The state will address the issue tomorrow (today). Kindly contact the Commissioner for Information.”
Delta Governor Ifeanyi Okowa said the state had drawn only a billion from its accrued share of N270billion from the 13 percent derivation arrears.
