13% derivation refunds: It’s Obong Attah’s legacy – Sen. Chris Ekpenyong

Ofonime Honesty, Uyo

A senator representing Akwa Ibom North West (Ikot Ekpene) Senatorial District, Christopher Ekpenyong, has paid homage to the former governor of Akwa Ibom State, Obong Victor Attah, for advocating for the payment of 13 per cent derivation to oil-producing areas in Nigeria.

In an interview with newsmen recently, Ekpenyong, who was Attah’s Deputy, from 1999 to 2005, while describing the derivation arrears as a fruit of Obong Attah’s labour, recalled that the former governor was misconstrued and persecuted for agitating for the abrogation of onshore/offshore dichotomy and payment of the 13% benefits as enshrined in the 1999 constitution.

“Governor Attah sought the payment of 13 per cent and people misconstrued him. It was just that the 13% was entrenched in Section 164 of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (as amended).

“That provision was not adhered to by the president and that led to Obong Attah pressing for President Obasanjo to sign it. God in his benevolence stood by us and Governor Attah became a hero. It even got to a point that we went to seek a legal interpretation to the 13 per cent.

“I think that case was won. I was opportune to know a lot about the matter because Obong Attah sometimes delegated powers to me to perform certain functions.’”

Senator Ekpenyong also recalled that Obong Attah’s colleagues in the South-South states were bullied into silence by the presidency. He narrated how some northern governors used to plead with him to discourage the former governor from pressing on with the agitation.

“Governor Rabiu Kwankwaso of Kano State, then, who is now running for Presidency, came to Akwa Ibom State and called me, even Governor Ahmed Makarfi of Kaduna, they asked me whether we want to secede from Nigeria, I said ‘no.’

“They said because you are agitating for resource control, it’s like you want to secede. I told them that they are getting him (Attah) wrongly. Credit must go to Obong Attah for standing firm.”

The senator commended President Muhammadu Buhari for approving the release of the funds and further suggested that an increase would bode well for Niger Delta states.

“Let’s believe that an increase to 13 per cent will come to play. I sat with Obasanjo at a time and we talked about the increase in derivation to about 25 per cent.

“I remember one day while I was worshipping with him, he told me he would have loved to do that, but that the northerners would not agree but that he can persuade them to allow him to increase it to 17 per cent.”