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The Revenue Mobilisation Allocation and Fiscal Commission (RMAFC), on Monday, said it has commenced verification of disputed crude oil wells and gas fields in the Niger Delta region.
The exercise, which began on September 22 in Asaba, is being carried out by a technical team with officers drawn from the office of the Surveyor General of the Federation, the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission and the National Boundary Commission under the leadership of RMAFC.
The development was contained in a statement issued Head, Information, and Public Relations, RMAFC, Maryam Umar Yusuf, in a strategic and proactive measure to ensure equitable allocation of resources.
Chairman RMAFC, Dr. Muhammed Bello Shehu announced the commencement of the exercise.
He said, “We announce the inauguration of the Inter agency technical committee and reaffirm our unwavering commitment to accurately identify the locations of crude oil and gas fields and wells within the disputed areas and the newly drilled crude oil and gas wells.”
He disclosed that the exercise was informed by the petitions from the governors of Anambra, Delta, Imo, Edo, Ondo and River seeking to establish the rightful ownership and territorial boundaries of specific crude oil and gas assets.
Shehu noted that the goal of the exercise was to ensure a fair and transparent allocation of oil revenue grounded in accurate data while addressing long-standing disputes over the location and rightful ownership of these vital energy assets.
He said the team would verify the Aneize oil field within OML 143; the Eyine and Ameshi fields, examine the identified locations and verify the coordinates of newly drilled oil and gas wells within the area spanning from 2017 to date.
He added that the exercise was in line with the provisions of paragraphs 32(a) Part I of the Third Schedule of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, as amended.
According to him, ‘”The 1999 Constitution, as amended, empowers the RMAFC amongst other functions to monitor accruals into and disbursement of revenue from the federation account.
“We are tasked with the plotting of coordinates of newly drilled identified crude oil, gas fields and wells across recognised oil-rich regions.
“This initiative is essential to ensure that every oil and gas producing states receives its rightful share of the resources to reduce tension and safeguard the integrity of the federation account.”
Shehu also disclosed that the verification exercise would be extended to Rivers, Akwa Ibom, Bayelsa, Ondo, Edo, and Anambra states in response to their complaints.
He said that the exercise would rely on geospatial data provided by the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission, which would be validated and plotted while the Surveyor-Generals of the affected states would observe the entire process.
The RMAFC boss said, “This decision reflects our unwavering commitment to support the commission in obtaining precise location data for these assets, ensuring that the 13 per cent derivation fund is equitably disbursed to the rightful boundary states among the oil- producing areas.
“By promoting transparency and fairness, we are laying the groundwork for a more stable and conducive environment for continued exploration and development across the region.”
Shehu stressed that the exercise was aimed at resolving long-standing disputes among the affected states.
He emphasised that the initiative was essential to ensure that every oil and gas producing state received its rightful share of the resources to reduce tension and safeguard the integrity of the federation account.
James Emejo
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