The Niger Delta Civil Society Forum (NDCSF), Rivers State chapter, has called on the Federal Government to stop routing the 13 percent derivation fund through state governments, describing the current arrangement as unconstitutional and unjust to oil-producing communities.
Speaking at a press conference in Asokoro, Abuja, the Rivers State Coordinator of NDCSF, Comrade Bernice Tamuno-Obukorubo, condemned what she termed the “illegal diversion” of derivation funds away from the communities that bear the environmental and economic burden of resource extraction. She argued that the 13 percent derivation fund was never intended to be paid to state governments, insisting that the existing practice violates the socio-economic rights of oil-bearing communities.
Tamuno-Obukorubo cited historical precedents to support direct community allocation, noting that during the administrations of President Shehu Shagari and General Ibrahim Babangida, derivation funds—1.5% and later 3%—were administered directly by federal bodies such as the Presidential Monitoring Committee and OMPADEC, rather than state governments.
She emphasized that oil and gas remain on the Exclusive Legislative List, placing responsibility on the Federal Government to ensure proper management and direct disbursement of derivation funds.
The NDCSF urged President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, the National Assembly, and especially the 10th Senate to establish a Presidential Monitoring Board or Commission to manage the funds in line with constitutional provisions. According to the group, such a structure would improve transparency, accountability, and ensure that derivation funds reach the communities for whom they were established.
The Forum argued that the issue transcends legality, touching on fairness, development, and long-overdue socio-economic justice for Niger Delta communities long affected by environmental degradation and resource exploitation.
