By Onitsha Shedrack,
The All Progressives Congress, APC, Delta State has raise alarm over what they described as devious and possible misappropriation of a mind-boggling sum of N48.6billion Delta State Oil Producing Areas Development Commission (DESOPADEC) funds by Governor Ifeanyi Arthur Okowa.
The party in a press release signed by its acting state Publicity Secretary, Engr. Leonard Abebi alleged that the funds which legally accrued to and ought to have been released to DESOPADEC for the development of the oil-producing communities, is currently amiss and unaccounted for.
The party therefore charges Delta State government led by Dr. Ifeanyi Okowa to explain to Deltas, particularly the oil producing communities what happened to the money and why the function of the agency have been reduced to mere payment of staff salaries.
The party added that N48.6billion represents 50% of the total accrued sum of N97.2billion which is the amount said to have been received from the 13% derivation funds paid to Delta State from May 2015 to November 2016.
The release read in part: “Governor Okowa cannot be silent and evasive on this crucial matter that affects the lives of a large majority of Deltans. We call on him to declare to oil-producing communities the whereabouts of their “missing” N48.6b.
“The APC Delta fears that this money may have been misappropriated or out rightly embezzled by the Okowa led-PDP government to the chagrin of oil-producing communities in the state.
“This potential misappropriation is an act of impunity, discrimination, injustice and an obvious exploitation of the wealth of the oil-producing areas of Delta State. It is actions like this that creates the impression of perceived negligence and seeming insensitivity of government that have been the principal cause of crisis in the Niger Delta region for decades.
“It will be horrendous and unspeakable for a Governor of an oil-producing state who ought to encourage peace and development within the Niger Delta to act in a deceitful and fraudulent manner. It will speak volumes of Governor Okowa’s mind-set towards oil-producing communities in the state. The oil-producing areas that give the state its huge monthly allocations, and who continue to bear the brunt of the negative effects of oil production on the environment and their lives, cannot be starved of legitimate development funds and left to wallow in poverty, want and hopelessness.
The party challenged Okowa stand up to tell Nigerians and Deltans in particular, that he is not by such actions instigating undue tension that can aggravate into a crisis within these oil-producing communities?
Adding that from the onset of Okowa’s administration, the law setting up DESOPADEC was swiftly amended, and it may have been “customized” in a manner that has made it possible for Okowa to render the Commission comatose.
“It is disappointing that Okowa has now reduced activities at the Commission to mere payment of staff salaries. A once vibrant and strategic agency that held hope and promise for the citizens of the famished oil-producing areas is now been crushed and strangulated, probably preparatory to its demise and eventual interment.
“Since 2015, these communities have not witnessed any ongoing or completed projects by DESOPADEC,” adding that there is visible utilization of the huge funds for the development of the oil-bearing zones.
“Governor Okowa must show proof and demonstrate to Deltans that these funds are not already trapped in the vortex of corruption. It is a sad reminder of the ubiquitous corruption and embezzlement that previous PDP administrations have foisted on Delta State.”
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