Boko Haram: FG moves to appease North with 13% derivation

As violence continues to rock parts of the North, the Federal Government may have opted to appease some northern states with the payment of 13 per cent derivation on solid minerals with immediate effect.

Vanguard reported that government was worried about rising insecurity in the northern part of the Nigeria with vociferous leaders of the north blaming the situation on poverty and inequality arising from alleged lopsided revenue allocation against them.

The new portal reported its sources said President Goodluck Jonathan was considering various measures, which include the immediate payment of the 13 per cent derivation to solid mineral-bearing states, a preserve hitherto enjoyed by the nine oil producing states of Akwa Ibom, Bayelsa, Cross River, Edo, Rivers, Delta, Imo, Abia and Ondo since the inception of democratic rule in 1999.

It said that government’s decision to pay the money was an indirect way of stemming the growing discontent and violence in that part of the country.

The Federal Government has been paying the derivation fund, which runs into trillions of Naira to only the nine oil-bearing states.

Payment to commence next month

But Chairman, Revenue Mobilisation, Allocation and Fiscal Commission, RMFAC, Mr. Elias Mbam, claimed in an exclusive interview that the payment, which is to commence next month, has no political motive.

Mbam, an engineer, made it clear that the decision to extend the payment to solid mineral states was in obedience to the relevant section of the Nigerian constitution.

The chairman said: “The payment is a constitutional matter, which states that derivation should not be less than 13 per cent and derivation is not limited to oil and gas. This also includes all other mineral resources.

“If you have minerals in your state and it is developed and it generates revenue into the federation account, you are entitled to 13 per cent of what is paid into the federation account.”

The chairman, who did not list the benefiting states and how much would be shared to them, however, said the commission would also not be drawn into agitation by some states for a review of the revenue allocation formula to give them more money.

Section 162 (2) of the Constitution of Nigeria states: “The principles of derivation shall be constantly reflected in any approved formula as being not less than 13 per cent of the revenue accruing to the Federation Account directly from any natural resource.”

Non-oil GDP

N90.4 billion is expected as non-oil Gross Domestic Product by the Federal Government in the next three years as contained in the revised Medium Term Financial Framework between 2012 and 2014. The solid mineral states are expected to earn 13 per cent of the amount.

On the other hand, the nine oil producing states will share at least N1.9 trillion as their share of 13 per cent derivation within the period.

The Minna meeting

But it is not clear whether the leaders of the North would be pacified as they had only a few days ago called for an urgent review of the revenue formula.

In a well publicised communiqué, the North rejected the current revenue allocation law and called for its immediate review, saying it was lopsided, unfair and detrimental to the interest of all Nigerians, including the real people of the oil-producing states it appears to favour superficially.

They argued that oil-producing states were equally victims because the revenue accruing to their states on the basis of derivation over-weighted formula was far beyond their executive capacity to manage, thereby promoting corruption and hyper-inflation in those states, their neighbours and the country at large.

The communiqué said: “This revenue allocation law also stands in violation of the international law with particular reference to the International Law of the Sea Convention (LOSC). The LOSC treaty, which has since come into force (1982), is the principal governing law for all maritime resource issues.”

Nigeria Killers paraded.....

ABUJA — Eight suspected members of the Boko Haram sect accused of complicity in the kidnap and killing of a Briton, Christopher McManus and his Italian counterpart, Franco Lamolinara, in Sokoto on March 7, were yesterday paraded in Abuja by the State Security Service, SSS.

Three of the paraded suspects, Bashir Ibrahim (aka Adda’u), Ibrahim A. Habibu and Gambo Maiborodi, were aged between 19 and 20 years.

Other suspects were Mohammed Rabiu Adam (aka Dan Hajiya), Abubakar Abdulrahman Habibu, Shitu Salihu, Abubakar Umar and Ahmed Samaila.

SSS said its investigations revealed that the plot to abduct the foreigners who were staff of Stabilini Visinoni Construction Company, from their residence in Birnin Kebbi on May 12, 2011, was masterminded by the Abu Mohammed-led faction of the Boko Haram Islamic sect.

It added that the said Abu Mohammed died on March 9, 2012 following severe bullet wounds he sustained during a raid at his hideout at Layin Hanwa area of Zaria on March 7.

A statement by the SSS, yesterday, said: “After a painstaking investigation process, the Service made a number of arrests in Adamawa, Katsina, Kaduna, Sokoto and Kebbi states. The following youths aged between 19 and 20 years, who were discovered to have conducted surveillance on the victims before their abduction, were subsequently arrested.

“Further investigations revealed that the plot was masterminded by the Abu Mohammed-led faction of Boko Haram in Nigeria. Following a raid on Abu Mohammed’s hideout at Layin Hanwa area of Zaria on March 7, 2012, Abu Mohammed and five others were arrested while holding a Shura Council (the sect’s highest decision making body) meeting.

“In the ensuing exchange of gunfire, a soldier was killed and his throat slashed while one service personnel was seriously injured by members of the Boko Haram sect. Abu Mohammed and the other suspects sustained various degrees of bullet wounds.

Order to kill captives

“Preliminary interrogation of the arrested suspects revealed that the guards protecting the two foreign hostages in Sokoto had been directed to kill them in the event of any envisaged threat. The arrested suspects, therefore, advised that a rescue operation be immediately initiated more so as one of them had escaped during the Zaria raid.

“Consequently, a joint security operation was launched. One of the arrested suspects, Mohammed Rabiu Adam (aka Dan Hajiya) who killed the soldier during the Zaria raid, led the security team from Zaria at about 11pm on Wednesday,March 7, 2012 to Sokoto and arrived their destination about 0430 hours on March 8, 2012.

“Prior to their arrival, security operatives had mounted a street cordon and search operation along all routes around Mabera Estate, Sokoto to prevent any attempt by the guards to smuggle out the hostages.

“Apparently acting on the directive of the members of the sect who escaped from Zaria, the guards murdered the hostages before the arrival of security forces. However, the guards could not leave the building because of the presence of security men in the area.

xchange of gunfire

A set of the alleged killers: Bashir Ibrahim (aka Adda’u), Ibrahim A. Habibu and Gambo Maiborodi.

“Upon arrival of security forces at the building where the hostages were being held, there was a prolonged exchange of gunfire during which three of the guards were killed while the wife of one of them sustained bullet wounds and was rushed to the hospital. No life was lost on the part of security forces though some service personnel sustained gunshot injuries.”

“While the service commiserates with the families of the murdered expatriates, it wishes to reiterate that the long arm of the law will surely catch up with terrorists and perpetrators of evil wherever they are.

“Once more, we wish to appeal to Nigerians to remain sensitive to their environment and report suspicious activities to security agencies.”