Sequel to the recent online publication in whatsapp and other social media we the entire members’ truth advocacy group, a body that believes in the propagation peaceful co-existence through truthful advocacy wish to state as follows:
Ordinarily, we would not have joined issues with the author(s) of the subject in reference as published on the Social Media, more so, when the author(s) identity was not revealed, meaning they are faceless, but for the sake of Posterity.
The Five (5) Ethnic Nationalities that constitutes the oil Bearing Communities of Delta State and Deltans in general know each other’s Character, Traits and Modus Operandi too well.
In our response, while acknowledging the imperfection in the DESOPADEC’s Budgeting Process, is to show all Deltans and indeed, the general public, that the author’s write up is malicious and was written in bad faith as it relates to the person of Hon. Dennis Omovie, a perfect gentleman and Member, representing Warri South Constituency II, in the Delta State House of Assembly.
We make bold to say that the DESOPADEC 2016 Budget is near perfection, in comparison to her previous Budgets.
Please Deltans, be the Judge, until the recent, we had the three (3) Musketeers, who held sway as follows:
1. His Excellency, Dr. Emmanuel Eweta Uduaghan; Governor for 8 years.
2. Hon. Daniel Mayuku; Chairman, Appropriation Committee, DTHA for 8years.
3. Mr. Oritsuwa Kpogho; Director Finance and later Chairman DESOPADEC Board, for 8years cumulatively.
Whereas, those referred to by the author(s) as Musketeers are as follows:
1. Hon. Monday Igbuya, Speaker, DTHA for One (1) year Five (5) months
2. Hon. Erhiatake Ibori, Chairman, Appropriation Committee, DTHA for One (1) year Two (2) months
3. Hon. Dennis O. Omovie, Chairman, House Committee on DESOPADEC for One (1) year Two (2) months
4. Chief William Makinde, Managing Director DESOPADEC for 1 year.
From the above comparison, which of the group of persons is the greater musketeer, especially when it comes to direct Chain of Command? A particular Ethnic Nationality enjoyed a better Chain of Command for Eight (8) years, which saw them get more than 50% of the total monies accruing to DESOPADEC. These monies were collected through Ambiguous and Over Blotted Contracts, Security Votes and Water Ways Security.
Some of the Over Blotted Contracts includes:
KOKO TOURIST BEACH:- Awarded for over N1Billion
KOKO GAMES VILLAGE:- Cumulative Award of over N500million
UGBUWANGUE MORDERN MARKET: - Awarded for N500million and was reviewed to N900million. It’s completed and wasting away.
EGBOKODO-ITSEKIRI MODERN MARKET: - Awarded for over N600million
ACQUISITION OF DREDGER: - Awarded and Review to over N600million
These are just to mention but a few. The question now is, “Is Koko, Ugbuwangue and Egbokodo-Itsekiri, Oil Producing Communities? When this Ethnic Nationality was enjoying all these by taking monies from other ethnic groups, orchestrated by their 3 musketeer for Eight (8) solid years, where was this faceless author?
Furthermore, is KOKO, UGBUWANGUE, EGBOKODO-ITSEKIRI, EKUREDE-ITSEKIRI etc Oil Producing Communities? Another question begging for answer is where was the author for the past Eight (8) years when a particular Nationality had total control of the resources of the state and the commission? The other Nationalities never existed in their thoughts
KEY ISSUES AS RAISED BY THE FACELESS AUTHOR
1. THE HIDDEN FACTS ABOUT THE PADDED BUDGET: The author was quick to list out the production quantum of each Ethnic Nationality but failed to mention the workings of the Centralized Budget that was of benefit to one Ethnic Nationality, to the detriment of others for Eight (8) years.
They were quick to add what was appropriated to the Urhobo Nationality in the 2016 Centralized Budget, in a bid to misled Deltans and the general public, without telling them what Centralized Budget was meant for.
What is Centralized Expenditures? In clear and simple term, it’s a part of the budget wherein the Central Expenditure of the Commission is placed. Elected and Political Office Holders are patronized by way of having the privilege to nominate a project(s) or such projects be nominated for them by the Commission. Centralized Expenditure also includes Projects of General Public interest or Social Corporate Responsibility.
In the Centralized Expenditure, “Production Quantum” is not a major determinant in the consideration of Project Distribution, it remains a fact that Political and Administrative consideration is given priority. But deliberate effort is usually made by the Management of the Commission to balance her expenditure among the five (5) Ethnic Nationalities.
The Centralized Budget is usually administered by the Commission’s Management with little or no inputs from the Board Members representing the various Ethnic Nationalities. A particular Ethnic Nationality for the past eight (8) years, had been having field days taking over 50% of the Centralized Expenditure because they held the ‘Chain of Command’ through the then three (3)Musketeers earlier mentioned, even with the fewer numbers of political office holding when compared to the Urhobos.
At this junction, let’s compare the Political Offices; the Membership of the House of Assembly, the Ethnic Nationality in reference had three (3) members, while Urhobos had ten (10).More than One third (1/3) of the Elected and Appointed Political Office holders in the state are Urhobos, if not more.
At the Federal Level: this particular Ethnic Nationality had one (1) member in the House of Representatives, they had no Senator in the Senate, whereas, the Urhobos had three (3) members in the House of Representative and a Senator in the Senate.
Therefore, how could, this Ethnic Nationality benefit so much from the Centralized Budget at that time, much more than the Urhobos knowing full well that the Centralized Expenditure of the Budget is based more on ‘Political Patronage.
‘THE FOREGOING EXPLANATION ON THE MODALITIES OF THE SPREAD OF THE CENTRALIZED EXPENDITURE, ACCOUNTS FOR THE REASON WHY THE URHOBOS HAD MORE MONIES APPROPRIATED IN COMPARISON TO THE OTHER ETHNIC NATIONALITIES IN THE CENTRALIZED EXPENDITURE OF THE DESOPADEC 2016 APPROVED BUDGET’.
2. “THE COMMISSION BEING A CONDUIT PIPE”: We agree to a great extent that the Commission had been a conduit pipe of some sort especially in the area of Security Votes, Grants, Over Blotted Awards, etc, but the author(s) of the publication in the Social Media, failed to mention the fact that a particular Nationality were the major beneficiary of these leakages.
Where was the author(s)when the then three (3)Musketeers were ‘Draining’ the pipe for eight (8) years; collecting monies by deduction at source from the Management of the Commission, thereby carting away Billions of DESOPADECs’ funding? Where was the author(s)?They kept quiet because their ‘Cronies’ were the ones draining the pipe and when others from the other Ethnic Nationalities, dare to question, they are threatened with removal from office, especially when they are Political Appointees.
3. ON THE ALLEGATION THAT HON. DENNIS OMOVIE TOOK ALL PROJECT IN WARRI SOUTH CONSTITUENCY II TO EDJEBA: This is laughable because, it’s a lie from the pit of hell, now let’s examine the list as published by the author(s) as follows:
i. Installation of Solar Street Light in EDJEBA, Warri; N10,000,000, Yes to this, (EDJEBA, Warri South Constituency II)
ii. Supply/Installation of Two (2) Transformers and Extension of Electricity at different locations in EDJEBA Warri; N10, 000,000.00, Yes to this, (EDJEBA, Warri South Constituency II).
iii. Provision of Solar Street Light for UKPOKITI AND OTEGHELE;N28, 000,000.00, No to this, (UKPOKITI AND OTEGHELE, are in Warri South Constituency I).
iv. Fencing/Renovation of UKPOKITI Primary School, Warri South; N24, 000,000.00, No to this, (UKPOKITI, is in Warri South Constituency I).
v. FENCING OF OTEGHELE Primary School with Provision of One(1) Unit Five (5) Rooms Self-Contained Quarters; N18,000,000.00, No to this, (OTEGHELE, is in Warri South Constituency I).
vi. Supply of Science Equipment to Edjeba Secondary School and other Secondary Schools in Warri South; N24,000,000.00, Yes to this, (EDJEBA, Warri South Constituency II)
vii. Construction of Two (2), Five (5) Units One Bedroom Apartment at Oteghele Town Warri South; N30,000,000.00, No to this, (OTEGHELE, is in Warri South Constituency I).
viii. Renovation of “Division Police Station,Avenue, Warri South; N20, 000,000.00, No to this, (AVENUE, is in Warri South Constituency II).
From the 8 Projects listed above onlythree (3) Projects, itemised, i,ii and vi are located in EDJEBA. Furthermore, of the Eight (8) Projects, only Four (4) are located in Warri South Constituency II, where Hon. Dennis Omovie represents. The other Four (4) are located in Warri South Constituency I, which is being represented by Hon. Omawumi Udoh, of the Itsekiri extraction.
Now to this faceless group “IS IT TRUE THAT HON. DENNIS OMOVIE LOCATED THE ENTIRE PROJECT IN WARRI SOUTH CONSTITUENCY II IN EDJEBA? Deltans and the general public please be the judge.
4. TO THE QUESTION” DOES EDJEBA PRODUCE OIL” This we will answer with another question “DOES KOKO, UGBUWANGUE, EGBOKODO-ITSEKIRI,EKUREDE ITSEKIRI ETC PRODUCE OIL?”. If Ugbuwangue, which was host to ‘ONLY SHELL’ got a project patronage to the tune of N900,000,000.00, (this is just one of the numerous Projects located in Ugbuwangue) why can’t EDJEBA which is host to SHELL,CHEVRON,NPDC,NNPC enjoy the patronage of N153,000,000.00 (including Centralized Projects) from DESOPADEC? Deltan and general public please be the judge.
5. ON THE N30, 000,000.00 FENCING OF EKPAN POLICE STATION: The budget is a in the Public Domain, everybody has access to it, especially with the Freedom of Information Bill in operation. We have checked and still checking, we could not find any project entitled “FENCING OF EKPAN POLICE STATION” in the DESOPADEC Approved 2016 Budget. In the cause of checking, we came across an “Old Project” that was never awarded from the Previous Budgets, titled, “CONSTRUCTION OF ADMINISTRATIVE BLOCK AND RENOVATION OF RESTAURANT AT EKPAN POLICE STATION”. What this suggests is that “FENCING OF EKPAN POLICE STATION “does not exist. The faceless author(s) should please prove us wrong in this regard.
Nonetheless, Hon. Dennis Omovie is not representing Uvwie Constituency, neither does he and any other member in the House of Assembly initiate Projects.
However, privileges may be given to Members of the House to nominate Constituency Project(s) and are usually accommodated in the Centralized Expenditure of the Approved Budget, so, why try to ‘give a dog a bad name for it to be hanged’.
This malicious publication is viewed by us as the continuous ‘Campaign of Calumny ‘against the person of Hon. Dennis Omovie, which started at his emergence as the Chairman, House Committee on DESOPADEC, and now “the Budget “. It is a show of shame.
6.THAT THE TOTAL MONIES ACCRUABLE TO EDJEBA IS N350,000,000: This claim is false, to this, in addition to the three (3) Projects earlier listed above as itemized, (I, ii and vi) which summed up to N44,000,000,. EDJEBA has 2 other projects in the Centralized Expenditure, as follows:
* Land Acquisition/Construction of Comprehensive Health Centre at EDJEBA; N64, 000,000.00
*Construction of Onovughedafe Street, Edjeba with Culvert to link London Road; N45, 000,000.00
This brings the total Budgeted sum in the 2016 Approved Appropriation to N153, 000,000.00, not N350, 000,000.00 as stated by the author(s). The Edjeba Town Hall had been ongoing since 2013, it has N25, 000,000.00 appropriated. These figures are a fact, derived from the Approved 2016 Budget, we therefore challenge the author(s) to prove us wrong.
These facts notwithstanding, we see no reason why EDJEBA, a host to several Oil Companies cannot have N350, 000,000.00 worth of project, whereas, Ugbuwangue, which hosted only Shell, had lots of Projects, of which Ugbuwangue Market alone was gulped N900, 000,000.00.
7. OVIE OF UVWIE PALACE BEING FUNDED WITH A WHOOPING N80, 000,000: First this is yet another lie being told to Deltans and the general public.
The Uvwie Palace is an ongoing part supported project since 2013 (Note: it was not initiated by DESOPADEC, the Commission is only playing a supporting role) it has N30, 000,000.00appropriated in the 2016 Approved Budget and not N80, 000,000.00 as stated. The project sub head in the 2016 budget is HOUSING/469C/464/C3/11, we therefore challenge the author(s) to prove us wrong.
This project, from its inception in 2013 till date, had been funded from the Urhobo Funds. So what empirical formula did the author(s) apply to single out the Uvwie Palace, being one (1) of the about Seven (7) Palaces being funded by the Urhobo Nationality, to have been deemed to benefit from monies deducted from other Ethnic Nationalities?
Whereas, the Olu Palace had benefitted more than any other Palace in the State from DESOPADEC, including the multiple phased contracts “Completion of Olu Palace being funded with over N500,000,00 million along with its subsidiary projects like “Olu Palace Beautification”, “Fencing of “Royal Cemetery”, “Construction of Historical Museum”, this is just to mention but a few.
8.BUILDING OF N150MILLION MARKET AT UGBENU MARKET: How does the choice of this project affect the author(s), a particular Ethnic Nationality had over Ten (10) Markets, both completed and ongoing worth over N2 Billion with Ugbuwangue and Egbokodo Markets accounting for a whooping sum of N1.5billion. So why can’t Ugbenu benefit from a N150, 000,000.00Market Project?
9. BUILDING OF MULTI-PURPOSE HALL AT WESTERN DELTAN UNIVERSITY OGHARA, TO COST N350, 000,000.00: We wish to state that it is very wrong to use Public Monies to fund a Private Project. This project was initiated and approved under the regime of the then Three (3) Musketeers. We need not remind the author(s) of the relationship that has existed between the arrowhead of the 3 Musketeers and the owner of the University. For this singular act, by now the arrow head of the 3 Musketeers should be behind bars.
Surprisingly the author(s) never mentioned the N100, 000,000.00 donated by the Commission to Eagles Height University, Omadino, meant to fund the Construction of an Auditorium, why because the owner of that institution is an illustrious Son of his Ethnic Nationality. If the owner of Eagles Height University were to be an Urhobo man, your guess is as good as mine, Hypocrisy.
10. URHOBOS HAVING ABUDGET OF OF N700, 000,000.00.If the Urhobos get N700, 000,000 Based on 22% Production Quantum, it simply implies that the Itsekiri Nation, with 29% Production Quantum, should get N922, 780,000, and that is simple Arithmetic.
How come the Itsekiri Nation have been getting far more than the Urhobo Nation, knowing full well that the difference between 22% and 29% is 7%.Now get a copy all previous Budget and run a check you will know that the Itsekiri Nation, have been short changing the other Ethnic Nationalities, even with their cover up, being guised as available funding based on Staff Strength.
11. ON HON. DENNIS OMOVIE BEING ALLEDGED TO HAVING 26 PROJECTS: This is laughable because firstly, they said all the Projects in his Constituency were all located in EDJEBA, this has since been proven wrong. Secondly that He owns all the Twenty Six (26) Projects located in his Constituency. Well if the ownership of Projects is by its Constituency Location, then Hon. Daniel Mayuku, Hon. Michael Diden and Hon Omawumi Udoh can be said to be the richest, as their Constituencies has to their credit, over 800 Projects both New and Ongoing.
FACTS: Both Warri South Constituency I&II cut across the Urhobos and the Itsekiris. The Urhobos have only 9 Projects (including the Four (4) nominated by Hon. Dennis Omovie) located in their various Constituencies. The Four (4) Projects nominated by Hon. Dennis Omovie, like any other Member of the House of Assembly, are listed below;
* Land acquisition/construction of comprehensive health centre at EDJEBA, N64, 000,000.00
*Construction of Onovughedafe Street, Edjeba with culvert to link London Opi, N45, 000,000.00
*Construction of Ovie Palace Warri, N60, 000,000.00
*Construction of Enikogho St. Ugborikoko with culvert to Okoro Street in Marine Quarter; N45, 000,000.00.
For the records, Hon. Dennis Omovie only nominated the Four (4)Projects listed above and not Twenty Six (26) as alleged, a privilege that was extended to other Members of the House of Assembly. He is not a Registered Contractor with DESOPADEC and has never executed any contract for the Commission. We therefore challenge the author(s) to name the 26 Projects.
DESOPADEC BUDGETARY PROCESS
The practice has been for the Management of the Commission to draw up its Budget and this is presented to the House of Assembly by the Executive Governor. The House in turn, commits the presented Budget to its Committee on DESOPADEC. The Management of the Commission is thereafter invited for the defence of her Budget.
During this process of the Defence, Alterations are made, either by ‘Reducing or Increasing’ votes for Projects based on their relevance and other parameters. Once the House Committee on DESOPADEC completes its assignment the House passes the Budget.
Is the alteration by moving monies from one subhead by mutual consent of both the House Committee and the Management of DESOPADEC that is Budget Padding? If so, then, Hon. Daniel Mayuku’s Chaired House Committee on Appropriation must have Padded DESOPADEC Budgets for the previous Eight (8) years. So where was the author(s) all these years, why was the silence?
The difference between the 2016 Approved Budget and the preceding Budgets, is that the harmonization of the grey areas was carried out in a tripartite arrangement, namely the House Committee on DESOPADEC, the House Committee on Appropriation and the Management Team of DESOPADEC. This singular act got the commendation of DESOPADEC Contractors Association and was extended to Hon. Erhiatake Ibori, Chairman, House Committee on Appropriation.
PROJECT FUNDING
Projects are funded based on Ethnic Nationality and sometimes by Geographical Locations. The Ijaw Ethnic Nationality do fund projects in the Urhobo dominated areas of Patani LGA including Uduophori, Olodiama etc., in all the Budgets since the inception of the Commission .The Urhobo Nationality have also funded Projects in the Itsekiri dominated Areas in Delta Central, these includes, Ajagu-oyibo, Ajemele, Oguanja, Ugbolokposu, Ajagbodudu etc. The Itsekiri Nationality had also been kind enough to fund a couple of Projects located in Urhobo communities of Warri South LGA, which includes, Edjeba, Ogunu and Okurode-Urhobo.
Therefore, why the sow of this “Seed of Discord” by the author(s) because a couple of Projects were Appropriated to be funded from the Itsekiri Quantum; for Projects that are located in the Urhobo dominated Areas of Warri South LGA in the 2016 Budget, as it has always been in the previous Budgets?
CONCLUSION: There have been several issues with Budget and Budgetary Process at the Federal, States, Local Government and other Government Agencies at all levels.
Therefore DESOPADEC cannot be an isolated case. But, the author(s) submitted that the 2016 Budget was based on ‘Criminality and Wickedness’, please with the information above at your disposal, can you really deduce that there exist any ‘Criminality and or Wickedness’ in the 2016 DESOPADEC Approved Budget?
Likewise, has Hon. Dennis Omovie played any negative roll that may warrant his name and person being maliciously mentioned in this manner?
Deltans and indeed the General Public, Be the Judge!
Freeborn Onokurefe
Group Coordinator
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