By Egufe Yafugborhi

PORT HAR COURT— GOVERNOR Nyesom Wike of Rivers State has said that the Federal Government was  constitutionally bound to remit to oil producing states, 13 per cent of the $1 billion Excess Crude Account fund withdrawn to fight insurgency.

Wike

Wike said this yesterday in Port Harcourt,  while receiving the Leadership Newspaper Governor of the Year award presented earlier, on his behalf, in Abuja, to the Speaker of the Rivers State House of Assembly, Ikuinyi-Owaji Ibani.

He said: “They have approached us to lobby for the passage of a resolution by the state House of Assembly approving the $1 billion withdrawn from the Excess Crude Account to fight insurgency.

“The law is clear. On every proceed from oil, you must remove 13 per cent derivation for oil producing states. We cannot be stampeded into doing the wrong thing.  So, where is the 13 per cent? In fighting insurgency, you must respect the law.”

On alleged FG discrimination against Rivers State in distribution of fund support to states, the governor said: “If you criticise the government, they deny the state funds due to it. This is a government that claims that it is fighting corruption.”