By Emma Amaize

WARRI—IJAW oil producing communities in Delta State, Tuesday, warned that they will resist any attempt by any person or group to prevent the direct payment of their share of the 13 per cent derivation fund, as proposed by the state governor, Dr. Emmanuel Uduaghan, in the new bill on the restructuring of Delta State Oil Producing Areas Development Commission, DESOPADEC.

In a statement by Bishop Samson Amagene and other leaders of the communities hosting flow stations in Ijaw land, they said: “We do not want to be put in a situation where we would have to give another ultimatum to close flow stations on our land, as frustrating the government’s effort in getting the money directly to our people is capable of causing fresh crisis in the state.

“It is clearly God’s doing that Governor Uduaghan has acceded at last to the request of the Ijaw oil producing communities to pay their 27 per cent of the 13 per cent derivation fund due to the state to them,” adding that the governor earlier refused the request in 2013 when the former chairman of DESOPADEC, Chief Wellington Okirika, led a delegation of the Ijaw, Itsekiri, Urhobo, Isoko and Ndokwa oil communities to press for  direct payment.