The Ijaw Youth Council (IYC) Worldwide has hailed Bayelsa State Governor, Seriake Dickson and his counterparts in Rivers and Akwa Ibom States, Chief Nyesom Wike and Udom Emmanuel respectively, following their recent Supreme Court’s victory on oil revenue sharing.
The IYC commended Dickson and his colleagues for rising above the norm to approach the court for an interpretation of Section 16(1) of the Deep Offshore and Inland Basin Production Sharing Contract Act.
The IYC, in a statement signed by its Secretary-General, Mr. Alfred kemepado, yesterday, described the judgement as a victory for all Nigerians and not just the littoral states.
Kemepado said the victory was justice and equity for all persons cheated in the fraudulent equation that had been the basis for sharing revenues to states.
He said it was fraudulent and insincere to share oil revenues on $20 per barrel formula, even when oil prices increased to about $120 per barrel.
He said the act passed for a classical state fraud that deserved a shameful place in the records of time.
Kemepado called on all state governors to join Dickson and his colleagues in calling for the refund of their money, which valued in trillions of Naira.
He said the money if used judiciously would help develop the affected states, especially the Niger Delta region.
He said: “We commend the judiciary, led by Justice John Inyang Okoro of the Supreme Court for annihilating this fraud that was deliberately orchestrated by some elite for selfish reason and at the expense of the struggling and suffering people of Nigeria.
“We call on President Buhari to ensure the enforcement of this judgement by all stakeholders as it will further demonstrate his respect for the rule of law, especially at this supreme level”.