Okowa is strangulating DESOPADEC, NAIG raises alarm

The National Association of Itsekiri Graduates, NAIG has accused Delta State Governor, Dr. Ifeanyi okowa of strangulating and crippling Delta State Oil Producing Areas Development Commission, DESOPADEC, saying the commission’s “2016 budget has been in the cooler and has not been made public after it was sent back to the Delta State House of Assembly for amendment”.

President of NAIG, Comrade Collins Oritsetimeyin Edema in a statement made available to Fresh Angle International Friday June 9, averred that for the past two years Dr. Okowa assumed office, he “has deliberately starved and deprived DESOPDEC Board of funds which are due them under the pretext of debt servicing, yet the Asaba City Development Board is being fully funded, capital projects are being executed by Governor Okowa within the Asaba and Ika axis of the State”.

While stressing that “the 13% fund from which DESOPADEC is being funded does not belong to Delta State government and as such Governor Okowa does not have right to tamper with it without the knowledge of people of the Host communities”, the Itsekiri graduates’ body noted that “there is no 2017 budget for DESOPADEC Board, even though we are in June 2017”.

The statement stressed, “we wish to state without fear of favour that Governor Okowa is a tribal chauvinist, short-sighted administrator and has failed us as people from the oil producing areas of Delta State”.

Governor Okowa should know that any further deduction of DESOPADEC funds from the end of June 2017, without the permission of the good people of oil producing communities will be met with stiff resistence by us”, NAIG declared.

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