More leaders in the Oil Producing Communities in Delta State have joined in challenging Ifeanyi Okowa, the state governor, to provide evidence of remittance of 50percent of the 13percent allocation from the Federation Account to Delta State Oil Producing Areas Development Commission (DESOPADEC), from 2015 when he became governor to date.
In a statement signed by the leaders including Maikpobi Okareme of Isoko Leader of Thought; Justina Tiemo, Oil Rights Advocacy Women leader; Samson Oyimi, Ogbe-Ijoh Leader of Thought, and Sylvester Sambo Piniki, Leader of Thought, Gbaramatu Kingdom, they threw their support behind Edwin Clark, chairman of Southern and Middle Belt Leaders Forum (SMBLF).
“We stand with Chief Edwin Clark on retrieving the over N240 billion and accounting for the over N2 trillion received by the Okowa government under 13percent Derivation so far,” they said.
They also recalled that Clark recently wrote an open letter to the governor, blaming his administration for the abysmal performance of the DESOPADEC.
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They pointed out that the DESOPADEC establishment Law in Section 17 subsection 1(a) provides that 50percent of the 13percent Oil Derivation Fund accruing to the Delta State Government from the Federation Account will come to the commission.
“Today, this laudable developmental agency has been turned into a mere compensatory agency for political patronage by the Delta State Government with a handful of political leaders and their cronies as beneficiaries, instead of appointing credible and transparent persons of proven integrity and service to the people.
“We are in a dire situation of life and death. We have a situation whereby the Governor is using his privilege position to hijacked the entire 13percent Allocation from the Federation Account and this has largely accounted for the failure of Commission.
“DESOPADEC is now a moribund agency because Gov. Okowa is not paying the full 50percent of the 13percent to the Commission. Since Delta State has got N240bn from the Federation Account, N120bn ought to go to DESOPADEC. And also, if they are borrowing and called it bridging loan, half the amount should go to DESOPADEC. This is not the case today. Governor Okowa gives to the commission whatever he likes and spent money belonging to the commission in violation of the law. Since the Governor is not giving the full money, members of the board also just take whatever that he gives them and put it in their pockets.
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“The commission has been reduced to a mere ministry for opaque political compensation.
The failure of Governor Okowa to appoint a substantive board of the commission since the expiration of the current board is another evidence of his utmost disregard for law and order, they said and asked him to respect law and reconstitute the board of DESOPADEC without further delay. Elongating the tenure of the non-performing board is a disservice to the hapless communities, they leaders added.
“The lack of accountability and transparency is a minus to Governor Okowa’s administration. It is, therefore, a disservice to our people such that today what they can offer is to supply grass-cutting machines!
“How can we go on like this with a commission that only pays salaries and receive emoluments. The revelation of our leader, the elder statesman Clark that funds accruing to the commission were not duly remitted by the Governor but had been used to fund three newly established universities, Koka Flyover in Asaba, Maryam Babangida Leisure Park, Film Village and Mother and Child Specialist Hospital, Owa-Alero, amount to criminal action against the oil producing communities. How do these projects affect the oil bearing communities?
“Suffice it to say that Oil Money is being lavished on non-oil producing areas with impunity because the Government is insensitive to the plight of our people in those areas,” the leaders stated.
In defense of the governor, Olisah Ifeajika, Okowa’s chief press secretary (CPS), among other things, said his boss was not a dictator.
“As an institution, the Commission often sends its budget to the House of Assembly, different from the state government’s budget,” he said.
Olisah, who made the defence while on a radio programme monitored in Asaba, pointed out that in putting the budget together, DESOPADEC was always mindful of its 50 percent statutory entitlement from the 13 percent Derivation Fund.
According to him, the House of Assembly had a Committee on DESOPADEC which performed oversight function on the commission, affirming that if there was any issue with funding, the commission would have brought it to the floor of the House.
“If you say that DESOPADEC is not doing enough with the funds allocated to it, it is a different thing. But to say that the 50 percent does not go to them, I don’t think so,” Ifeajika stated.
While saying that the Okowa-led administration had created a peaceful ambience in the state through its various policies and programmes, the CPS lauded Kingsley Otuaro, the deputy governor, for going all over the coastal areas to ensure that peace returned to the communities.
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