– Wants PIA Host Community Fund increased to 5%
Mkpoikana Udoma
Port Harcourt — Renowned human rights lawyer, Femi Falana, SAN, has demanded greater accountability, justice, and equitable wealth distribution for the people of the Niger Delta, declaring that the region’s citizens “have no business with poverty” despite its vast oil resources.
Falana made the call in Port Harcourt during his keynote address at the Ken Saro-Wiwa 30th Anniversary Memorial Lecture, themed “Ken Saro-Wiwa: The Man, His Legacies, Struggles and Challenges.”
“You have no business with poverty,” Falana told participants from Niger Delta at the event.
“The people of Niger Delta have no business being poor, you should live a life of prosperity based on your wealth. That is why this brutal exploitation must stop.”
The fiery advocate called on the Rivers State Government to enact a law that guarantees a special allocation to oil-producing areas from the state’s share of the 13% derivation fund, insisting that oil-bearing communities deserve direct benefits from the region’s natural wealth.
“Rivers State, you must have a similar law that will make special allocation to the oil-producing areas of Rivers State out of the 13 percent derivation. Under the Petroleum Industry Act, Section 257 sets aside 3% for host communities. Oil communities should insist on more, not less, because the wealth is theirs.”
Falana revealed that according to the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission, NUPRC, about N97 billion and $150 million had been allocated to host communities under the PIA as of May this year. He, however, called for transparency and citizen monitoring of these funds.
“We must all be interested and ensure accountability regarding the figures being announced by government,” he said.
Calls for Speedy Cleanup of Ogoniland
On the lingering Ogoni environmental remediation, Falana lamented that while Shell Petroleum Development Company, SPDC, had paid $1 billion for the cleanup, the Federal Government through NNPCL had yet to contribute “a dime.”
He urged the government to set clear deadlines for achieving progress on the cleanup, stressing that it was unacceptable that after 11 years, tangible progress remains elusive.
“The cleanup is supposed to last 30 years. If after 11 years we’ve made little progress, then something is wrong,” Falana said. “We must adopt a resolution mandating the government to speed up the cleanup. If the cleanup does not reach a certain stage, nobody should be allowed to resume oil production in Ogoniland.”
‘FG Must Give Back to Niger Delta’
The Senior Advocate further insisted that the Federal Government must give back to the Niger Delta from the region’s “enormous wealth,” emphasizing that part of the 13% derivation fund should be equitably distributed to the communities producing oil and gas.
“The nine oil-producing states receive special allocations from Abuja every month. They must give back to the communities that produce the oil and gas.”
He added that while the 3% allocation to host communities under the PIA is a good starting point, it remains inadequate.
“Three percent is not good enough for the communities who own the oil,” he said. “It should be increased to five percent. More importantly, not less than five percent of the 13 percent derivation fund should go directly to host communities.”
Urges Media to Hold State, LG Leaders Accountable
Falana also challenged the media and civil society to extend their scrutiny beyond Abuja and focus on state and local government finances, where he said much of the nation’s resource leakage occurs.
“Every month, local governments receive over N500 million in allocations, yet it’s hard to point to any meaningful development,” he said. “The media must insist that these figures are published. Without transparency at the grassroots, there can be no accountability.”
‘Ogoni Must Decide on Oil Resumption’
Commenting on the Federal Government’s directive to resume oil production in Ogoniland, Falana maintained that only the Ogoni people can decide when exploration should recommence in their land.
“The government must speed up the cleanup, that is the only way to encourage the people to consider resumption,” he said. “The people’s interest must come before that of oil companies.”
Falana Commends FG on Ogoni University, Cautions on Legal Backing
The human rights lawyer commended the Federal Government’s decision to establish a university in Ogoniland, describing it as “well-deserved.” However, he cautioned that the institution’s creation must be backed by law to avoid future reversal by subsequent administrations.
Unity for Justice
Falana concluded his address by urging the people of Niger Delta and progressive forces across Nigeria to unite in the struggle for justice and accountability.
“The best way to honour Ken’s memory is to unite the oppressed people of Niger Delta. Work together, fight the government and the oil companies to a standstill until justice is done.”
‘Ken’s Ideas Live On’ – Nnimmo Bassey
In his remarks, Rev. Nnimmo Bassey, Executive Director of the Health of Mother Earth Foundation, HOMEF, described Ken Saro-Wiwa as a visionary who saw the future, noting that his warnings about environmental degradation have all come true.
“Ken Saro-Wiwa was a man who saw the future because he was firmly planted in the present. Everything he said has been validated by the UNEP report of 2011 and the Bayelsa report of 2023. The exploitation of Ogoniland is the same pattern as colonial exploitation, oil is not development.”
Bassey challenged the government to identify a single Niger Delta community that has been transformed by oil wealth.
“Show us one community that has been developed because of oil,” he said. “I can show you thousands that have been reduced to nothing because of it.”
