PRESS RELEASE
AN OPEN LETTER TO GOVERNOR IFEANYI OKOWA ON THE STATE OF AFFAIRS IN DELTA STATE BY CHIEF (DR.) E.K. CLARK OFR, CON ON THURSDAY 2ND JANUARY, 2023
His Excellency,
Senator (Dr.) Ifeanyi Okowa,
Governor of Delta State,
Government House,
Asaba.
YOUR DICTATORIAL GOVERNMENT AND THE REIGN OF UNACCOUNTABILITY IN DELTA STATE
Your Excellency, my letter will definitely come to you as a surprise because of my unusual silence over your nearly eight years of governance in Delta State. But my unusual silence does not mean I have kept a blind eye to some of your corrupt and misuse of power. This is particularly with regards to my previous regular criticisms of your predecessors reign, where I openly criticized their policy and actions, and I was tagged a trouble makers by detractors. Hence, i have kept silent over the various misdeeds of your administration untill the tail end. It is my intention therefore to release some of these ugly information to the people of Delta State of your lack of sincerity, lack of honesty and your non transparent administration. This is especially so as the Delta people are scared of you and unable to speak out against your government. Most of them have been reduced to mere robots either because of self interest or personal patronage, or the allowances they receive from the Government. I am indeed very sad that some of our leaders from the State who betrayed us in Abuja during Goodluck Ebele Jonathan and Alhaji Atiku Abubakar’s Presidential Primaries in 2010/2011, have relocated to Delta State to perpetuate their evil designs again. Let them be warned, otherwise, they will be exposed.
BETRAYAL OF SACRED TRUST
Today, I say with certainty that you are more dictatorial than every Military Administrator that has administered Delta State, since its creation in 1991. I can therefore understand why you have deliberately and immorally betrayed your colleagues ( governors ) of Southern Nigeria and the entire peoples of the old protectorate of Southern Nigeria, for your selfish personal ambition, of wanting to land on a safer ground, after the end of your last term in office, by manipulating yourself to serve as running mate to Alhaji Atiku Abubakar. No, by God’s grace your prayer will not be answered. Perhaps, you have forgotten the gravity of the offence you have committed against the people of Southern Nigeria. In order to cover your nefarious plot, you deliberately deceived everyone to host a meeting of the 17 Southern Governors in Government House Asaba, on Tuesday 11th May 2021. You gave them a very good reception and provided them a secretariat they drafted the meeting’s communiqué under your supervision, which was ably read by the Chairman of the Southern Governors Forum, Governor Rotimi Akeredolu of Ondo State. It was indeed a bombshell, as you collectively demanded for a Southern Presidency in 2023 and insisted that non of you should accept to be a Vice President. Shortly afterwards, the Southern and Middle-Belt Leaders Forum (SMBLF), which I lead, gave the governors declaration 100% support and declared that no Southern serving Governor, Legislator or Politician should accept to be a running mate, particularly to Atiku Abubakar.
The 17 Governors later met again in Lagos and Enugu to affirm the decision taken in your Government House Asaba. Little did we know that you were using this to perfect your secret plan to be the running mate to Atiku Abubakar, right from the very beginning. We are therefore not surprised that you directed all the delegates from Delta State not to vote for Governor Nyesom Wike of Rivers State or Governor Udom Emmanuel of Akwa Ibom State, who are your neighbours, but instead you induced the delegates to vote massively for Atiku Abubakar, during the PDP Presidential Primaries last year. It would be recalled that in 2007, Delta State finances were used in funding part of the election of Umaru Musa Yar’Adua, through the directive of President Olusegun Obasanjo. We were therefore not surprised when you too have decided to finance Atiku Abubakar with Delta People’s money, because there is no body to challenge you. I repeat, you will not succeed. It is therefore in your own interest to openly apologise to your colleagues of both APC and PDP whom you deceived in taking a decision you never believed in. After your unreserved apology to the people of Delta State, the South South and Southern Nigeria, you must step down with your ambition of becoming the Vice-Presidential candidate of the PDP. There your honour lies.
We can now understand the reason why you are never serious with your Chairmanship of the South-South Governors Forum, as it will definitely compromise your ambition. You never for one day joined your colleagues to condemn the atrocities of murder, kidnapping, maiming and the raping of women, perpetrated against our people particularly by AK 47 armed herdsmen and bandits, that invaded Uvwheru, Igbuzor, Okpanam, Abraka and very recently Patani. This is because it will annoy your Northern friends. However, the Southern and Middle-Belt Leaders Forum (SMBLF) have resolved to oppose your joint candidature with Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, and this we will continue to do until election day.
THE REIGN OF CORRUPTION AND THE QUESTION OF 13% DERIVATION
Take note, there are many issues of corruption and abuse of office perpetrated by you and your Government; this is ranging from one of your siblings partaking in the contract for the building of the Prof. Chike Edozien New Civil Service Secretariat Complex, Asaba. Because of the trust and believe we had in you at the time, we did not react to the indicting reports exposed by Sahara Reporters, on the 19th April, 2018, where you were accused of being the brain behind the fraudulent scandals involved in the project. I reproduce part of Sahara Reporters indictment against you;
“Scandal: Gov. Okowa, Sister, SSG, Others Embroiled In N13.6bn Secretariat Complex Fraud”
April 19, 2018
Sahara Reporters, New York
NEWS
Delta state Governor, Mr. Ifeanyi Okowa, his sister, Ivana Shenton, Secretary to the State Government, (SSG), Festus Ovie Agas, Commissioner for Special Duties, Government House, Asaba, Henry Sakpra, a former Zenith Bank manager, Osadebe Osakwe and others have been indicted in a N13.6 billion fraud scandal related to a new secretariat complex being built by the state. Information available to this website indicated that the governor awarded the contract for the new central secretariat complex to North China Construction Company Nigeria Limited (NCCG) which allegedly has the governor’s sister, Ivana Shenton and former Zenith Bank manager, Osadebe Osakwe as ‘frontiers.’ Checks by Sahara Reporters revealed that North China Construction Nigeria Limited was registered two years before the emergence of Okowa as a governor with the Corporate Affairs Commission registration number, RC 1113315, and is being managed by Osadebe Osakwe, the former Zenith Bank manager, who is also a strong ally of the Delta governor”. This will be fully developed in my next statement on the affairs of the state, including your alleged vested interests in a newly established bank, Premium Trust Bank, which is now your government bank to the extent that the new loan you wanted to take from a consortium of banks, will be paid through Premium Trust Bank, the development which did not go down well with the banks and its allies.
They therefore withdrew and pulled out from the deal. The Delta State government now approached the Delta State House of Assembly again for a fresh loan approval of N120Billion, and this time around, Premium Trust Bank will be the lead lender. What is unclear is whether the N120 Billion loan is in addition to the previous N250 Billion approved by the House or a fresh borrowing. Meanwhile, I have decided to concentrate on the misuse of about N250 Billion 13% derivation fund, which you collected from the Federal Government and corruptly misuse, without disclosing its receipt to the public. And it is very sad that you did not use the money for the purpose it was made available to Delta State. At this juncture, I wish to reproduce for public knowledge, what the constitution says about the use of the 13% derivation fund, in section 162(2) of the Nigeria constitution. And for your awareness, no one has power, capacity or authority to tamper nor deviate from the statements of the constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, except through amendment by the National Assembly.
The Constitution states that;
“The President, upon the receipt of advice from the Revenue Mobilisation, Allocation and Fiscal Commission, shall table before the National Assembly proposals for revenue allocation from the Federation Account, and in determining the formula, the National Assembly shall take into account, the allocation principles especially those of population, equality of States, internal revenue generation, land mass, terrain as well as population density; Provided that the principle of derivation shall be constantly reflected in any approved formula as being not less than thirteen per cent of the revenue accruing to the Federation Account directly from any natural resources”.
ON DESOPADEC AND YOUR MISUSE OF THE AGENCY FUNDS
The Delta State Oil Producing Areas Development Commission, DESOPADEC, was established in 2006 under James Ibori’s administration to manage 50% of the 13% derivation fund accruable to the State and its laws came into force, on the 1st day of August 2006. The Commission changed the socio-economic development of host communities within the mandate areas of the Commission. The DESOPADEC law section 17 sub-section 1A part 5 (Funds and Accounts), the sources of funds of the commission shall be:-
Fifty percent (50%) of the thirteen percent (13%) oil derived fund or any other percentage approved, accruing to the Delta State Government from the Federation account. This law seeks to provide for an organised management and administrative structure for the effective use of the 50% or any increased percentage of the 13% oil derivation fund accruing to Delta State Government, for the purpose of tackling the under development and ecological problems which arise from the exploration and exploitation of oil minerals in the oil and gas producing areas of Delta State. With the establishment of DESOPADEC, the management of the 13% derivation is now entirely in the hands of DESOPADEC as a Commission. This clearly shows that the Governor of Delta State has no business for which he kept 50% of the 13% derivation, meant for the use of the crude oil producing areas of the state.
I wish to refresh your memory on the official figure issued by the Federal Government of Nigeria, on the bulk payment approved by President Muhammadu Buhari, which your colleague of River State, Nyesom Wike publicly admitted to your annoyance. You have between now and may 29th 2023, to give your report to the people of Delta State, as per, how this huge amount of money was spent by you, to the people, otherwise, we will end up in the Law Court.
I hereby reproduce a report released by the National Bureau of Statistics;
Oil-producing states in Nigeria received N448 billion in 2021 as 13% oil derivations. Delta State received the highest amount of N141.93 billion, representing 5.8% increase compared to N424 billion shared in the previous year. This is in accordance with the analysis of data culled from Nairalytics, the research arm of Nairametrics, from the monthly FAAC report, released by the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS). According to the report, Delta State received the highest amount, as stated earlier, with N141.93 billion, which accounts for 31.6% of the total amount shared in the period under review. On the flip side, Lagos State received the lowest in terms of oil derivation, accounting for just 0.8% of the total amount disbursed. A cursory look at the historical, shows that despite the increase in 2021, the amount shared in the reviewed years, was way below the N552.5 billion and N536.3 billion, shared in 2018 and 2019 respectively.
Breakdown:
Delta State received the lion’s share in the years in review with N141.93 billion, representing an 8.7% increase compared to N130.57 billion received in the previous year. Akwa Ibom followed with N91.16 billion, accounting for 20.3% of the total amount disbursed, while it represents a 3.9% decrease compared to N94.82 billion received in the preceding year. Bayelsa State received the sum of N87.23 billion, which accounts for 19.4% of the total amount shared to the states. Bayelsa’s collection in the period increased by 7.8% in contrast to the N80.95 billion received in 2020. Others on the list include Rivers State (N83.12 billion), Edo State (N15.48 billion), Ondo State (N11.5 billion), Imo State (N9.14 billion), Abia (N4.78 billion), Lagos State (N3.78 billion).
It is worth noting that Suko also received a sum of N548.05 million in the reviewed period, being the first time, the Gombe State region is earning from oil derivations. Recall that Gombe State signed a Memorandum of Understanding with Rift Oil and Petroleum Company in September 2021 for the exploration of petroleum resources in the state. Anambra State is set to join the list of states that earns 13% oil derivations, with effect from March 2022, as part of its benefits as an oil-producing state. This was announced by the then governor of the state, Willie Obiano, while addressing members of the press after a tour of the Awka International Convention Centre and Anambra Cargo and passenger airport.
REVENUES THAT ACCRUED TO DESOPADEC
If DESOPADEC budget for 2015 and 2016 amounted to N45,000,000,000 and N28,000,000,000 respectively; you kept to yourself N45,000,000,000 which represents 50% of the 13% derivation fund for that year, kept by you to be spent at will. In 2016, DESOPADEC budgeted N28,000,000,000 out of the 50% of 13% derivation fund issued, and you kept N28,000,000,000 for your discretional and corrupt use. The total expenditure carried out by DESOPADEC in 2015 and 2016 are well documented whereas, there is no budget for the 50% derivation you kept. Please, you owe it as a duty to make the figures available to the people of Delta State, to clear all doubts and insinuations.
I have decided to state the DESOPADEC budget of 2015 and 2016 to inform Delta state indigenes on the expenditure and analysis of how Delta State Government misuse the 50% of the 13% derivation fund that accrued to the state since 2015;
DESOPADEC 2015 AND 2016 BUDGETS
2015 REVENUE RECEIPT
Capital Receipt of (50% of 13% Derivation Fund) N45,000,000,000
2016 REVENUE RECEIPT
Capital Receipt of ( 50% of 13% Derivation fund) 28,000,000,000
Internally Generated Revenue (IGR)
1.500,000,000.00
The big question one may ask is that, why should the Governor of Delta State retain 50% of the 13% derivation fund? Was it President Olusegun Obasanjo, or the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria that gave the State authority to diversify the use of 13% derivation funds? It should be noted that what the governor of Delta State did was part of his corrupt scheme, because he wanted to keep the 50% as part of the security vote which is known only to the state governors, as the Law that established DESOPADEC does not support it. Whereas, there are some states in the Niger Delta that have not established an agency to manage the derivation fund as Delta State did. It maybe necessary here to quote extract from your reply through the Commissioner for Finance, Chief Fidelis Tilije, after Gov. Nyesom Wike exposed your administration’s receipts from the derivation fund, and the allegations of abuse of office made against your Government. The commissioner tried to explain away how your administration spent the money, but his explanation was not transparent and was meant to hide the truth.
He said that contrary to the revelation by Wike, Delta State only received N14.7 billion in three quarterly instalments of N4.9 billion each. Speaking at a news conference in Asaba, Tilije said the state government had remained committed to transparency and accountability in all its financial dealings on behalf of the people. Tilije, who was in the company of the Commissioner for Special Projects, Chief Henry Sakpra and the Chief Press Secretary to the Governor, Mr. Olisa Ifeajika, said the total amount due to the state from the 13 per cent derivation arrears was N240 billion out of which the federal government agreed to pay in quarterly instalment for a period of five years. Tilije also denied claims by former Edo State Governor, Adams Oshiomhole, that the state government received over N60 billion on refunds for federal road projects executed by the state. He said: “With the agreed amounts settled, some states like Rivers approached commercial banks and discounted theirs in full and collected, but Senator Ifeanyi Okowa said he would not want to leave the next administration with a huge debt burden. “He resorted to discounting only N150 billion out of the N240 billion expected receivables, but later pruned it down to N100 billion. So far, we have gotten N14.7 billion in three quarterly instalments and we have also accessed N30 billion out of the N100 billion we applied for as bridging finance,” he explained.
The Commissioner stated that contrary to the impression given by Wike that previous administrations in the country refused to pay the money to the oil-producing states, the discovery of the outstanding funds was made by current commissioners for finance in the Niger Delta states. It is indeed very insulting and irresponsible of the most respected Delta Commissioner of Finance, Chief Fidelis Tilije, to make such lacklustre attempt to explaining how away the 13% derivation funds received by the state were spent. Perhaps, the Governor may come to the commissioner’s aid in explaining to our people how our money was spent, since the commissioner made a very poor attempt of it.
NEPOTISM AND MANIPULATION OF THE DESOPADEC LAW BY THE GOVERNOR
While asking the Governor to account for the money approved by President Muhammadu Buhari to the State Government, it maybe necessary to reply briefly to the disgraceful explanation given by the Commissioner of Finance, as if they have power or authority to change the use of this funds as approved by the constitution and the law establishing DESOPADEC. This view I have held since 2012 and therefore do not agree with the skewed interpretation by the governor’s aid In his response to the Governor of Rivers State.
The Commissioner for Finance of Delta State listed a number of projects which the 13% derivation was spent on and they, include;
KWALE INDUSRTIAL PARK
Yes, the Kwale Industrial Park is situated in an oil producing area of Delta State and therefore should come under the jurisdiction of DESOPADEC, but in this case, the Commissioner is giving the impression that Governor Okowa, has the power or authority to vary the Constitution of Nigeria, by altering the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. Gov. Okowa should explain to the Delta people what happened to the Warri Industrial Park which his predecessor in office, Emmanuel Uduaghan started.
LEISURE AND FILM VILLAGE ASABA
It does not in anyway qualified under the scheme, this project is a money making project through attracting tourists to the state for the relaxation of those who can afford it, and should therefore not benefit from funds meant for oil producing communities of the state. The governor has to tell us why this expensive project in Asaba, must affects the oil producing areas of the State. In fact, it is a wasteful project which will only benefit the elites. It is considered wicked and deprivational for the State Government to spend huge sums from the 13% derivation meant for oil producing communities on Leisure Park and Film Village in Asaba, a non oil producing community. That money should have been used to complete the Ayakoromo Bridge, an oil producing community.
KOKA INTERCHANGE FLYOVER ASABA,
This flyover has nothing to do with the scheme that should be the normal budgetary arrangement of the Delta State Government, because Asaba is not oil an producing area in the State, and therefore does not qualify for it. Enerhen junction in Warri, an oil producing area, had been earmarked for a flyover before Okowa’s Government and he is aware of it. The Koka Flyover recently built in Asaba is unlike the flyover built by Governor Wike of Rivers State, where Port Harcourt metropolis is covered by the 1999 constitution, as oil producing, and therefore must benefit as stated in section 162(2).
UGHELLI-ASABA DUAL CARRIAGE WAY
This is a blatant lie calculated to deceive Delta people, because the road which is a Federal road was started more than 12 years ago, and has nothing to do with 13% derivation fund.
THREE STATE UNIVERSITIES
The inclusion of the three state Higher Institutions recently converted by the Delta State Government do not qualify under the scheme. There are three other Higher Institutions that qualifies for this conversion in Warri, Burutu and Agbor. You chose Agbor in order to carry out your secret agenda of establishing a University in your village of Owa-Alero. Today, no new building has been constructed in the old College of Education, Agbor. The new Osadebe University Asaba used to be part of Delta State University Abraka, why is it singled out to qualified for the 13% derivation, instead of using the monthly allocation and Internally Generated Revenue (IGR), that accrues to the state. But the old Delta State University Abraka, which is oil producing is not assumed qualified by the governor? Asaba is not by any measure qualified to benefit from the 13% funds, but Gov. Okowa included it through the backdoor. Ozoro Polytechnic, which was recently upgraded to University is qualified because they produce oil, but no new building has been erected, since the conversion of the Institution.
It was expected that the school of Marine Technology in Burutu which is of the same status with the College of Education, Agbor, and College of Education Warri, would also be upgraded to University status, but the governor considered it doesn’t merit it, even though Burutu is oil producing. We are therefore demanding that the Delta State Government should produce the record and amount of 13% fund spent on these projects, because failure will allow us to produce our records. In fact, all educational institutions, especially tertiary institutions in Delta State are provided for in the yearly budget of the State, without recourse to the 13% derivation funds.
N5 BILLION TO ADDRESS ISSUES OF PAYMENT OF PENSION FOR BOTH THE STATE CIVIL SERVICE AND LOCAL GOVERNMENT WORKERS
It is all lies and fraudulent of the Delta State Commissioner of Finance, Fidelis Tilije, to stated that N5 billion from the 13% derivation was used for the payment of pensioners for both state and local government workers? We are therefore requesting the Governor Okowa, how much was spent on the various projects above and what part of the 13% derivation was spent on them? I have also read with amusement, the fraudulent claim by your aides, the Commissioner for Information, Mr. Charles Aniagwu and the Chief Press Secretary, Mr. Olisa Ifeajika, while appreciating the construction of roads in Ogulagha and Gbaramatu. One may ask, where did these roads lead to? About twenty years ago, your predecessor or mentor, Chief James Ibori, awarded contracts for the construction of roads from Okerenkoko, off to Pepe-Ama and to Kokodiagbene. The contract was awarded to Wokson Engineering Company, and Bar. Bosin Ebikeme was appointed the Project Director by the Governor James Ibori’s administration. While in 2011, NDDC also awarded a contract for the construction of roads from Kunukunuma to Ubefan, and Ubefan to Kurutie, where the Maritime University is located.
And then to Oporoza, from Oporoza to Madangho, and Madangho to Ogidigben, which will enable the hinterland dwellers to drive easily to Warri, Lagos and other places. The contractor mobilized to site, but unfortunately, all the road projects which were started at the time were later abandoned. Your Deputy Governor, Kingsley Otuaro, is from Okerenkoko town, where you built some roads, and you may wish to tell the public, how much of the 13% derivation funds you have spent in these areas, compared to the quantity of oil produced in the area. Also, you may wish to tell the public how much of the derivation fund you have spent in your village, Owa-Alero, where you are building a University Campus. You may even tell us what makes the College of Education Agbor, to be more qualified to be upgraded to a University than the school of Marine Technology, Burutu. But because of your nepotism and narrow mindedness, you chose the College of Education Agbor, in order to accomplish your secret agenda of building a University main Campus in your village, Owa-Alero.
In another instance, while Asaba Capital Development Agency (ACDA), that is managed by Mrs. Joan Mrakpor, is well funded from time to time under your Legacy Projects Program, the Warri and Uvwie Development Agencies, that are managed by Chief Ovuozorie Macaulay, received little or nothing from the same government. According to Most Rev. Hyacinth Egbebo, the Catholic Bishop of Bomadi Diocese in an interview in the Vanguard Newspapers of 24th July 2022, he pointed out how neglected Ijaw territories and their people are. In Bomadi, Burutu and Patani LGAs, though they produced large quantity of oil and gas, they are deliberately neglected by you because you think no one can challenge your authority. But you will surely answer for the abuse of privilege of office. I reproduce hereunder part of his statement during the interview:
“The main grouse that has triggered this interview with you is my desire to identify and condemn the pointed hateful exclusion of the riverine Bomadi, Burutu and Patani Local Government Areas, from the development scheme of the government of Delta State. The recent highly publicized borrowing of N150billion for development projects in Delta State did not feature any project here. Again, there is also the rumor of another engagement to borrow N25billion”.
“It is noteworthy that the government has not done any sensible project for us. When the governor came to us in Bomadi for a town hall meeting some years ago, he informed us that he didn’t have sufficient funds to build the polytechnic at Bomadi and the Ayakoromos Bridge, that had been started by his predecessor, and we believed him. It is now clear that all he told us was a bold lie, but when he was talking to us it seemed like he was honest. Yet, in poverty the governor was able to raise three polytechnics to university status elsewhere in the state. It is to be noted that Governor Emmanuel Uduaghan, former Governor of Delta State and your predecessors in office awarded the contract for the construction of the Polytechnic in Bomadi town and work started to the window level.
You have the impunity to subjugate our people as if we are second class citizens and now use our money to build a University in your village, which is not covered by the 13% derivation fund. I know my people working with you will be the first to attack and criticize me for speaking the truth. Who is fooling who? Does the governor know that Delta State is ascribed as oil-producing majorly because of us? Yet, he borrows hugely to preferentially build his highways with the intention of using our oil money to pay the debt”. I will comment on this vision statement later. At this juncture, it may be necessary to refresh your memory of your problem with the New Delta Avengers when they accused you of the misuse of the 13% derivation funds.
The exchanges I summarize hereunder;
Both the Managing Director of DESOPADEC at the time Engr. Makinde and Favour Izuokumor visited me in Abuja to appeal to you to make money available for their staff and contractors who were being threatened by their banks and as a result I contacted you, then you were on leave. And I hereby reproduce the text message I sent to you dated 24th June 2017;
“Your Excellency, regret my inability to reach you since our last discussion on DESOPADEC. While wishing you a happy and fruitful vacation, I pray you make some allocation available for DESOPADEC to pay their contractors and meet some overhead costs to avert any eminent crisis having regard to my appeal to the unidentified youths that will attract the Federal Government reaction. Safe journey and God bless. E.K.Clark”.
Later on, 29 and 15 DESOPADEC workers came to me on separate occasions on the same matter. It is also necessary here to mention that on 10th June 2017 in a Vanguard publication, the New Delta Avengers accused you of gross marginalization, milking and starving DESOPADEC to death, and that at the same time you are a monumental failure.
On 20th of June 2017, I, Chief Edwin Clark leader of Pan-Niger Delta Forum (PANDEF) released a statement in a Vanguard publication in which I pleaded with members of the New Delta Avengers to withdraw the ultimatum of June 30th, issued to the Acting President Prof. Yemi Osinbajo, to compel you to tell the world how much was due to the Delta State Oil Producing Communities Development Commission (DESOPADEC) from the 13% derivation. Again on 29th June 2017, the New Delta Avengers responded positively to my appeal for them to withdraw the ultimatum and they temporarily suspended hostilities. For record purposes, as far back as 2012, I condemned the Governors who do not in most cases spend this money for the benefit of the oil producing areas, for which it was approved at the time, when Uduaghan was the Governor.
He had a female friend, Miss Mowarien, who was the Manager of a Commercial Bank in Efunrun Warri, where the 13% derivation money was being paid into by the Delta State Government. Uduaghan cleverly appointed his kinsman Kpogho Oritsuwa as the accountant of DESOPADEC, where only three of them, the Governor, the Bank Manager and the Accountant manipulated the funds. Kpogho Oritsuwa in 2008 was the Head of Finance during Chief Wellington Okrika’s tenure as the Executive Chairman of DESOPADEC, and he later became the Executive Chairman of DESOPADEC after Chief Wellington Okrika’s tenure in 2010. In your usual parochial, nepotic attitude and character, you amended the constitution of DESOPADEC in order to bring more communities under DESOPADEC, including your Ika Local Government Area, thereby expanding the number of members in the Commission, to include other areas of the State that are not producing oil.
“Section 2 of the Principal Law was amended by inserting “Ika” after the word Isoko in the interpretation of the ethnic nationalities”. And according to the founding Delta State Gazette of the commission, “Ethnic nationalities mean the Ijaw, Isoko, Itsekiri, Ndokwa and Urhobo of Delta State. Through tinkering with the original Gazette, your interpretation of ethnic nationalities of the commission changed, when you included, Ika, which is your ethnic nationality. Whereas, there are more ethnic nationalities in Delta north and not just Ika. They are; Oshimili north and south, Aniocha north and south, but you failed to add any of them because you did not think they deserve to benefit.
Finally, I wish to again advice you not to reduce Warri to a deserted village as Chief James Onanefe Ibori did to Sapele, when he removed most of the offices from Sapele to Oghara his hometown. This is exactly what you are carrying-out now. I saw you smiled at Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, when you told him that Owa-Alero is your humble small village, that it is now a big town. The question is, with whose money did you transform the place? The 13% derivation which deserving oil producing communities did not benefit from.
CHIEF (DR.) E.K. CLARK OFR, CON
PRESS RELEASE
