The Presidency has said Delta, Rivers, Akwa Ibom, and six other oil-producing states received a total of N625.43 billion 13 percent oil derivation, subsidy, and SURE-P refunds from the Federation Account in the last two years (2021-2022).

The Presidency noted that states that received the refunds from 1999 to 2021 are Abia, Akwa-Ibom, Bayelsa, Cross River, Delta, Edo, Imo, Ondo, and Rivers.

This was contained in a statement made available to The Star on Friday by the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity, Garba Shehu.

According to the presidential spokesman, the data obtained from the Federation Account Department, Office of the Accountant General of the Federation, showed that a total of N477.2 billion was released to the nine states as refund of the 13 percent derivation fund on withdrawal from Excess Crude Account (ECA) without deducting derivation from 2004 to 2019, leaving an outstanding balance of N287.04 billion.

Shehu stated that the states also got N64.8 billion as the refund of the 13 per cent derivation fund on deductions made by the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPC) without payment of derivation to oil-producing states from 1999 to December.

He noted that benefitting states still have an outstanding balance of N860.59 billion windfall from the refunds, which was approved by President Muhammadu Buhari.

“According to the figures, under the 13 per cent derivation fund on withdrawal from ECA without deducting derivation from 2004 to 2019, Abia State received N4.8 billion with outstanding sum of N2.8 billion, Akwa-Ibom received N128 billion with outstanding sum of N77 billion, Bayelsa with N92.2bn, leaving an outstanding of N55 billion.

READ ALSO: Buhari slams governors for pocketing LG funds

“Cross River got a refund N1.3 billion with a balance N792 million, Delta State received N110 billion, leaving a balance of N66.2 billion, Edo State received N11.3billion, with a balance of N6.8billion, Imo State, N5.5 billion, with an outstanding sum of N3.3 billion, Ondo State, N19.4 billion with an outstanding sum of N11.7bn while Rivers State was paid 103.6 billion, with an outstanding balance of N62.3 billion,” he disclosed.

Shehu said the states were paid in eight installments between October 2, 2021, and January 11, 2022, noting that the ninth to twelfth installments are still outstanding.

“On the 13 per cent derivation fund on deductions made by NNPC without payment of derivation, the nine oil-producing states were paid in three installments this year, with the remaining 17 installments outstanding.

“Under this category, Abia State received N1.1 billion, Akwa-Ibom, N15 billion, Bayelsa, N11.6 billion, Cross River, N432 million, Delta State, N14.8 billion, Edo State, N2.2 billion, Imo State, N2.9, billion, Ondo State, N3.7 billion, and Rivers State, N12.8 billion.

“The benefitting states shared N9.2billion in three installments in April, August and November 2022 as refunds on the 13 per cent derivation exchange rate differential on withdrawal from the ECA,” he added.

Shehu said the three largest benefitting states were Akwa Ibom (N1.6 billion), Delta State (N1.4 billion), and Rivers State (N1.32 billion).

The presidential spokesman revealed that all the nine states received N4.7 billion each, totalling N42.34 billion as refunds on withdrawals for subsidy and SURE-P from 2009 to 2015, adding that the refund, which is for all the states and local government councils, was paid on November 10, 2022.

He stated that the Federation Account also paid N3.52 billion each as a refund to local government councils on withdrawals for subsidy and SURE-P from 2009 to 2015 on the same date in November.

Shehu said President Buhari considers it a matter of honour and decency that debts owed to states or anyone be repaid and in time without regard to their “partisan” political affiliations.

He noted that the President will continue to render equal service to all the states of the federation and an acknowledgment of this by Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Wike, adding that refunds to the oil-producing states will continue.

The Star