Governor Seriake Dickson of Bayelsa State says the 13% derivative given to the Niger Delta is lacking to build up the area.
The governor said this on Tuesday amid a live media talk in Ijaw dialect on Tuesday in Yenagoa, the state capital.
He said the deduction guideline was shy of the desires and yearnings of the general population of the Niger Delta.
Governor Dickson argued that only restructuring would ensure manageable peace, security and improvement in the Niger Delta and different parts of the nation.
“I have said it time and time again that the 13 per cent derivation the federal government gives to us can never be enough to tackle our developmental needs at the pace we want.
“Restructuring is the only veritable means to achieve sustainable peace, stability and prosperity not only in our region but throughout the country.
“What they call oil blocs are our ancestral lands but we are the people that are excluded from the ownership and use of this our God-given property.
“For instance, Bayelsa is where the federal government is doing almost nothing to support our development efforts.
“We are the ones building all our schools, hospitals, roads and bridges to link our communities in this state.
“That is why I expect every right thinking Ijaw or Niger Delta person and true Nigerian to support our clamour for restructuring because that is the right thing to do so that every part of our country will have a sense of belonging,” Dickson said.
On the ongoing public service reforms, the governor urged the people to discountenance what he called the propaganda and blackmail orchestrated by detractors, adding that no genuine worker would be adversely affected.
He said through nonstop check and different measures, his administrationtion had pruned down the over bloated wage bill of about N6 billion it acquired to N3.8 billion by May
Governor Dickson, who urged the people not to see civil service as the best occupation, assured them of government preparedness to assist them go into commerce and other private businesses.
The governor said he had directed the appropriate government officials to announce the commencement of the recruitment of 1,000 graduates into the public service by next week.
He assured of fairness and transparency in the recruitment processes.
Governor Dickson urged the public to report any government official who indulges in nepotism and other sharp practices to the appropriate quarters.
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