Hon. Nkem Abonta Frowns At The NDDC Job Allocation Sharing Formula Against Ukwa Federal Constituency In Favour Of Abia North

 By Ugochukwu Ahuchogu 

The Member representing  Ukwa East/West Federal Constituency at the National Assembly Abuja, Hon. Barr. Uzoma Nkem Abonta has condemned in strong terms  the gross marginalization of the good and industrious  people of Ukwa Federal Constituency on the recent NDDC job sharing formula  against the oil producing Local Government, which negates the policy and laws of NDDC on job allocation in the State  (60-40) amongst the LGAs where 60% goes to the oil producing Local Government Area and the remaining 40% goes to the other Local Government Areas in the state.

Hon. Barr. Abonta was reacting to the recent publication on Thisday Newspaper (Pgs 43,44) of March 17th, 2021 on the NDDC job allocation sharing Formula in Abia State from  the original NDDC Act provisions amongst it’s nine (9) mandate states where he disclosed that one of the perennial problems which has not only defiled all past attempts at permanent solution, but has also evoked high emotions on the part of all concerned is the issue of equitable revenue,  job or contract allocations. 

Ukwa West Local Government Area is the only crude oil producing area in  Abia State. It’s oil producing communities includes Owaza, Uzuaku, Umuokwor, Umuahala and Umuorie amongst other neighbouring oil bearing communities in Ukwa Land.

Though it is the only (crude oil) producing area in Abia state, some of it’s communities and wards are lacking the basic amenities such as good roads, electricity, good health centres and schools which ought not to be so. 

The federal government should be restructured in a way that would ensure that an equitable job allocation sharing formula is adopted in sharing revenue. 

The economic exploitation of the regions vast crude oil reserves by multinationals and government authorities is juxtaposed with the specter of environmental devastation, excruciating poverty and recurrent rule of impunity. 

Fiscal and resource distribution systems must be targeted to citizens interests. The ideal revenue and job allocation sharing formula should be that which favours the state and local government with higher revenue from the federal account. 

The struggle for who gets what, when, and how of the oil revenue has continued to be a source of hostility and powerful politics in Nigeria and has great effect on the continued existence of Nigeria as a nation. Apart from money and materials losses, the degree of human losses in the incessant struggle in the oil producing communities is unquantifiable.

Hon. Abonta stressed the need for the Federal Government to allow the oil producing areas to control their resources in line with true fiscal federalism or at least the oil producing areas should be given 50% of revenue accruing from the resource in their domain.

There are two ways of tackling this poor revenue allocation sharing formula to the oil producing local government areas. 

The first approach is the development of infrastructure, such as roads, housing, electricity, water, employment generation and economic empowerment of the people of the area. This approach, once initiated and recognised by all the stakeholders, would make it easy for the implementation of the second one, which is effective enforcement of law and order.  

There should be an upward review of the derivation component of the payments to states to “not less than 50%,” as well as laws to make it mandatory for oil producing companies to increase local content in their operations, and other measures related to infrastructure, construction and employment generation. 

The repeal of the Land Use Act, Petroleum Act and other laws which dispossess oil producing areas of their lands, a longstanding demand of politicians and most other spokespeople from the Niger Delta should be recommended. 

The federal government should urgently pass a law prohibiting the oil companies in the oil producing areas  from hiring “ghost workers” who are paid to do nothing. A frequent practice when youths demand employment, but no jobs are available, which generates conflict between those so favored and others who would also like to be paid for no work. 

The people of Ukwa federal Constituency deserves far better than what is being allocated to them by the NDDC compared to other local government areas in the state. Greater attention should be paid to them during job allocations by NDDC as well as revenues for without them, Abia won’t be included in the oil producing states in Nigeria.