Niger State Governor, Umaru Bago, has demanded the payment of N1 trillion in compensation from the federal government for hydrocarbon exchange being consumed from the state to the Delta region.
The governor stated this when he received the Federal Commissioner of the National Commission for Refugees, Migrants, and Internally Displaced Persons, Tijani Aliyu, in Minna on Monday.Mr Bago also threatened to sue the federal government if it fails to allocate 13 percent derivation funds to the state.
According to him, the state would be left with no option but to disconnect the hydroelectric dams that supply power to different parts of the country.
He said: “We need 13 percent derivation for water supplied to the Delta.
“Our people are ravaged and displaced year in, year out because of the flow of water from the Niger to the Delta.
“The Federal Government will pay Niger state N1 trillion in the next three months for hydrocarbon exchange, they must.
“We have provided this country with hydropower for a long time; nobody is compensating us for it.
“Abuja Electricity Distribution Company [AEDC] must pay us, they have consumed from Niger state hydrocarbon exchange, and Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation [NNPC] must pay us.
“We have woken up, we can never ever tolerate being neglected or abandoned again. The only way we can ensure that the federal government heeds to us is to shut down the hydro dams unless we are paid.
“We are serious about this, it is not a threat; it is a statement. Every dime that is due to us, we will take it, we will take every kobo that is for Niger state.
“We are not going to be marginalised again; our waters, our lands our borders are strengths for us and not weaknesses.
“We demand compensation for our people. Everything, every resource that comes from Niger State must be compensated. We will not tolerate this anymore.
“We are going to the Supreme Court, and we will take the Federal Government to the Supreme Court unless the 13 percent derivation from our land, water, air, grass, and everything given to us is paid. We must be compensated. Our people have done enough for Nigeria.”
