Contrary to publications by some national dailies ( The New Diplomat not included) to the effect that Delta State received a total of N18.622 billion from the Federation Account Allocation Committee, FAAC, for the month of July, 2016, Governor Ifeanyi Okowa has given a different detail of the actual amount that accrued to the state.
Speaking through the state’s Commissioner for Information, Mr. Patrick Ukah in a signed statement, Okowa declared that the state received the sum of N7,485,871,893.05 as gross allocation, adding that after all deductions, the net receipt from FAAC was N5,226,068.78. He stated further that the 25 local government councils in the state received a total of N3.332 billion as allocation for the month of July, 2016.
It would be recalled that due to sharp fall in June allocation, the state government for the first time, had to stagger the salary payment to its workers for the month of June by paying staff of grade level 12 and below. However, the commissioner further stated that the government had approved the payment of salary to its entire workforce for the month of July.
The New Diplomat’s findings from the Federal Ministry of Information website however corroborated the figures declared by Okowa except with a slight difference. While the governor declared a gross amount of N7,485,871,893.05, the figure obtained from the Federal Ministry of Finance showed a gross of N7,370,808,792.12. Also, while the state government declared a net receipt of N5,226,068,645.78, the net receipt as obtained from the Federal Ministry of Finance was N5,111,005,544.85. This amounts to a difference of N115,063,100.93 — with the figure from the Ministry of Finance being lower.
Contrary to the publication in some of the dailies, The New Diplomat’s search also confirmed that the July, 2016 FAAC allocation did not include excess crude.
In a telephone chat with the Commissioner for Information, Mr. Patrick Ukah, he said that it was unimaginable for anyone to think that Delta State received a whopping N18.6 billion as allocation when oil pipelines have been blown up and most of the oil companies have suspended production and selling of crude oil. He added that the state government has not received up to N9 billion since it came into power.
Said he: “Where will you get N18.6 billion when your pipelines have been blown up? Where will you get N18.6 billion when Chevron where we used to get the highest IGR has stopped working in that place and has moved out? Are you aware that Seplat Oil Company has not been able to lift any oil? So, where do you get the money? Is it not when Seplat and Chevron lift that government can get? Let me tell you, this government since we came has never received N9 billion in a month.”
Ukah claimed the false publications were the handiwork of journalists who work for enemies of the government, saying “this is cheap politics they are playing, they are people who are in PDP before, who kept this state in the state we are because we are keeping quiet.”
