South-south govs demand 13% of $1bn insurgency fund

South-south governors on Wednesday restated the demand for restructuring and 13 percent derivation from the federal government.

Seriake Dickson, Bayelsa state governor and spokesman of the forum, made this known in a communique released after a one-day meeting in Port Harcourt, Rivers.

He said the forum also demanded a 13 percent derivation from the $1 billion withdrawn from the excess crude account by the federal government for security.

Dickson said the demand was in the spirit and clamour for restructuring and in line with true federalism.

The demand, he said, was in accordance with the constitutional provision.

He said the forum was not against the amount withdrawn by the federal government to fight insecurity in the country.

“The South-South Governors Forum supports the clamour for restructuring, fiscal federalism and devolution of power from the centre to the federating units,” the communique read.

“The governors said for Nigeria to be stable, peaceful and prosperous, it should be restructured. They vowed to work with like minds to make it a reality.”

Dickson noted that the forum expressed support for the devolution of powers among the federating states.

The forum, he said, called for the withdrawal from the national assembly a bill on the management and administration of water resources.

Governors Nyesom Wike of Rivers, Udom Emmanuel of Akwa Ibom, Ifeanyi Okowa of Delta and Dickson of Bayelsa attended the meeting while Ben Ayade of Cross River was absent.