N-Delta Awaits Tinubu’s Executive Order on 13% Derivation Fund
By Valentin Daliton (Abuja)
The Niger Delta Civil Society Forum (NDCSF) has renewed its call on President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to issue an Executive Order for the legal, constitutional, and people-centred implementation of the 13 per cent Derivation Fund for oil and gas producing communities, particularly Host Communities (HOSCON).
In a statement signed by its Coordinator, Comrade Ezekiel Kagbala, and released in Abuja, the Forum said an Executive Order has become imperative due to the continued failure to implement the derivation fund in line with constitutional provisions and the original intent of the derivation principle.
The NDCSF stated that the derivation policy was designed to address the developmental deficits and environmental burdens borne by oil and gas producing areas but lamented that current practices have consistently undermined these objectives.
It disclosed sustained advocacy through print and electronic media, alongside engagements with key federal institutions, including the Revenue Mobilization Allocation and Fiscal Commission (RMAFC), which it urged to recommend a transparent, lawful, and people-oriented framework for the administration of the fund.
The Forum also confirmed that it has formally written to President Tinubu, urging him to exercise his constitutional authority over oil and gas resources, which fall under the Exclusive Legislative List, to address what it described as anomalies in the current derivation fund administration.
As part of its demands, the NDCSF called for the establishment of functional 13 per cent Derivation Fund Boards in each oil and gas producing state and the creation of a Presidential Monitoring Committee to ensure transparency, accountability, and direct benefits to host communities.
The Forum cited historical precedents, recalling that under former President Shehu Shagari, Derivation Committees were established when the formula stood at 1.5 per cent, while the Oil Mineral Producing Areas Development Commission (OMPADEC) was created under the Ibrahim Babangida administration when derivation rose to 3 per cent.
According to the Forum, these models show that direct allocation of the 13 per cent Derivation Fund to state governments contradicts constitutional intent and established practice, as long as oil and gas remain on the Exclusive Legislative List.
The NDCSF also paid tribute to Chief Dr. Wellington Okirika, popularly known as Mr. 13% Derivation, describing him as a symbol of the long-standing struggle for resource justice in the Niger Delta.
The Forum urged President Tinubu to urgently issue the Executive Order to restore transparency, equity, and justice in the administration of the 13 per cent Derivation Fund, warning that continued delays could undermine peace and sustainable development in oil-producing communities.
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