By Bassey Udo
To ensure equitable allocation of revenue from the exploitarion of natural resources, the Revenue Mobilisation Allocation and Fiscal Commission ( RMAFC) says it has commenced the verification of disputed oil wells and newly developed gas fields in the Niger Delta region.
The Commission said the verification exercise began on Monday in Asaba Delta State.
A technical team made up of representatives from the Office of the Surveyor General of the Federation, the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC) and the National Boundary Commission are carrying out the verification under the leadership of RMAFC.
The Chairman of RMAFC, Dr. Muhammed Bello Shehu told journalists during the inauguration of the Inter-agency Technical Committee in Asaba that the Commission was committed to ensure the locations of crude oil and gas fields and wells within the disputed areas and the newly drilled crude oil and gas wells were accurately identified and established.
Shehu said the Commission decided to embark on the exercise following several petitions it received from the governors of Anambra, Delta, Imo, Edo, Ondo and Rivers States2 seeking to establish the rightful ownership and territorial boundaries of specific crude oil and gas assets within their domais.
He said the goal of the exercise was to ensure a fair and transparent allocation of oil revenue based on accurate data obtained from the exercise, while ensuring long-standing disputes over the location and rightful ownership of these vital energy assets by states were amicably and permanently resolved.
The Chairman said the team would verify the Aneize oil field within oil mining lease (OML) 143; the Eyine and Ameshi oil fields, examine the identified locations and verify the coordinates of newly drilled oil and gas wells within the area since 2017 to date.
Also, Dr. Bello said 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, which empowers the Commission to, amongst other functions, 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 in the Federation receives its rightful share of the revenue from the exploitation of the resources in their domains to reduce tension and safeguard the integrity of the federation account,” he said.
Besides, Dr. Shehu confirmed that the verification exercise would be extended to Rivers, Akwa Ibom, Bayelsa, Ondo, Edo, and Anambra states in response to similar complaints from their governors.
In addition, the Chairman said the exercise would rely on geospatial data provided by the NUPRC, which would be validated and plotted to the location, while the Surveyor-Generals of the affected states would observe the entire process.
“This decision to embark on the verification exercise reflects our unwavering commitment to support the Commission in obtaining precise location data for these assets, ensuring that the 13 percent derivation fund is equitably disbursed to the rightful boundary states among the oil-producing areas,” the RMAFC Chairman said.
“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,” he said.
