On Thursday, the Nigerian Senate officially acknowledged Kogi State as an oil-producing state. This recognition came about after Kogi East Senator, Jibrin Isah, presented a personal explanation regarding the state’s oil-producing status under Order 42 of the Senate Standing Orders.
Isah informed the upper legislative chamber that Kogi is an oil producing state “which has been receiving the constitutional 13% derivation since October, 2022”, adding that the development faults the position of Senator Tony Nwoye, representing Anambra North, who stated in his motion on Wednesday that Kogi is not an oil producing state.
The legislator emphasized to the Senate that commercial quantities of oil were discovered in Kogi East communities such as Odeke, Echeno, Ihile, Anocha/Uchuchu, Omabo, Ikah, Iregwu, and Ujeh of Ibaji Local Government Council. He noted that this discovery had been evaluated and confirmed by the Revenue Mobilisation, Allocation, and Fiscal Commission (RMFAC) since 2021.
“The derivative was being paid to Kogi State based on peculiarities of oil producing states as reflected in Section 162(2) which directs the constant reflection of the principle of derivation of not less than 13% in any approved revenue allocation formula,” Isah added.
The clarification arose following a bill put forward by Senator Tony Nwoye, aimed at amending the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) Act to designate Anambra as an oil-producing state. During the presentation of the bill, Nwoye mentioned that the neighboring Kogi State had yet to receive a 13% derivative.
When questioned by Senate President Godswill Akpabio during Wednesday’s session, the Anambra lawmaker couldn’t substantiate his assertions. Deputy Senate President Jibrin Barau, who chaired Thursday’s session in Akpabio’s absence, upheld the clarification that Kogi State is indeed an oil-producing state. Reports on Wednesday indicated that the bill to include Anambra as one of the states under the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) was rejected by Senators amidst discord.
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