The Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) has challenged governors of the nine oil producing states in Nigeria to make public, details of spending of the oil derivation refunds amounting to N625bn recently paid to them by the Federal Government, including details and locations of projects executed with the money.
The group also urged the governors to disclose details of spending of the refunds to local government councils through the state accounts, and to explain the governors’ roles in the spending of public funds meant for the councils.
The Federal Government recently paid N625.43 billion oil derivation refunds to the governors of Abia, Akwa Ibom, Bayelsa, Delta, Edo, Rivers, Ondo, Imo and Cross River states. The payments covered 13 per cent oil derivation, subsidy and SURE-P refunds. The refunds date from 1999 to 2021.
