Negotiating with the Niger Delta leaders

and negating the constitutional provision – direct and natural. Three, penalty for gas flared has an inverse relationship with the quality of natural resources realize, the more gas a company flares, the more money it pays. As in the name, it is a penalty for refusing to use natural resources and not for derivation. Four, […]

and negating the constitutional provision – direct and natural. Three, penalty for gas flared has an inverse relationship with the quality of natural resources realize, the more gas a company flares, the more money it pays. As in the name, it is a penalty for refusing to use natural resources and not for derivation. Four, inspectorate charges has nothing to do with real oil, but a kind of levy to help fund the Ministry or the Inspectorate Department in the discharge of inspectorate activities.
Therefore, while the President struggles with the 16 demands from the Niger Delta, the first is to follow the advice of the leaders: subjecting the demands to vigorous public scrutiny and inputs, including all those affected in the process of designing the solutions to these problems – this will include all federating units; as well as his promise to take his time to get to the root of the matter. Doing these will take him to understanding that a number of things have gone wrong, especially duplications in resource allocation and institutional arrangements – MDAs, States, appointments, projects and other incentives created. He will also realize that even with Fiscal Federalism and full resource control, the OPS will not partake in crude oil sale and they also agree to let go tax. Thus, the President needs to understand these fully and also make the region understand as well. While the Centre can handle some, others will call for understanding and acceptance of other stakeholders – states and local governments. A constitutional tinkering may also be required for some. This, I strongly caution, as the obvious consequences are dare and historically unpleasant. It further needs to be understood that whatever is agreed upon should be a standard applicable to other oil producing states, including Lagos and those likely to come on board in the Chad Basin, Bida Trough and Benue Valley, as well as a solid mineral producing areas.
As a general guide, every negotiation should, in meeting the yearnings of any group or political enclave, work towards achieving the objective of allocating scarce resources as to enhance national development and unity. To the oil producing states or rather, mineral producing states in general, that receive deviation, it will be prudent, transparent, accountable and purposeful for each to create a fund into which the monthly collection will be budgeted, lodged and utilized independently with active participation of all stakeholders in the state. This fund should cater for most of the issues the states agitate for and the reasons for the derivation principle.
Haruna Y. Sa’eed wrote from Kaduna.