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RMAFC Reconstitutes Committee To Verify Disputed Oil, Gas Wells
The commission said the exercise is aimed at strengthening fiscal transparency and ensuring equitable distribution of the 13 per cent derivation fund among oil and gas-producing states.
The Revenue Mobilisation Allocation and Fiscal Commission (RMAFC) has inaugurated a reconstituted Inter-Agency Technical Committee to verify the coordinates of disputed and newly drilled oil and gas wells from 2017 to date.
The commission said the exercise is aimed at strengthening fiscal transparency and ensuring equitable distribution of the 13 per cent derivation fund among oil and gas-producing states.
Speaking at the inauguration in Abuja on Wednesday, the Chairman of RMAFC, Mohammed Bello Shehu, said the exercise is part of the commission’s constitutional mandate to monitor accruals to and disbursement of revenue from the Federation Account.
Shehu said the commission discarded an earlier draft report on the verification of oil and gas wells following claims, counterclaims and complaints from various states.
He said the concerns centred mainly on the need to re-verify the coordinates of disputed and newly drilled wells and accurately plot them on approved maps.
The chairman directed the committee to consider relevant court decisions, rely strictly on approved maps and conduct physical verification of affected wells where necessary.
The committee comprises technical officers and subject-matter experts from RMAFC, the Office of the Surveyor-General of the Federation, the National Boundary Commission and the Nigerian Upstream Regulatory Commission.
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RMFAC Office
According to Shehu, the committee will conduct ground-level verification, field inspections, technical analysis and prepare an initial report.
He said an Executive Committee, led by the leadership of RMAFC, would provide strategic direction, coordinate the participating agencies and oversee final approval of the findings before their formal ratification.
The commission is also expected to engage relevant security authorities to facilitate administrative clearances and provide security coverage for field operations, particularly in complex and coastal areas.
Surveyors-General from affected states and representatives of the Senate Committee on Petroleum Resources (Upstream) will participate as observers.
Shehu urged members of the committee to carry out the assignment with integrity, objectivity and fairness, saying the exercise was intended to resolve disputes over oil and gas wells among beneficiary states.
The Secretary of RMAFC, Tosin Adeyanju, also urged members to put the national interest first and ensure diligence and objectivity in the exercise.
He said the committee’s work would attract greater scrutiny because of lessons from previous verification exercises, expressing confidence that it would produce a credible outcome.
The inauguration was attended by the Chairman of the Crude Oil Monitoring Committee and Federal Commissioner representing Kano State, Adamu Abdu Fanda, as well as Federal Commissioners representing Osun, Edo, Yobe, Taraba, Zamfara, Jigawa and Ogun states.
Representatives of relevant government agencies also attended the event.
