Anarchy looms at DESOPADEC Headquarters in Delta

Another round of violence was again averted at the premises of the Delta State Oil Producing Areas Commission, DESOPADEC, yesterday as some youths of Urhobo extraction besieged the commission in their numbers in preparation to forcefully plant one of their own as the Chief Security Officer, CSO. 

The youths who patrolled around the commission premises were anticipating a confrontation from their Itsekiri brothers who also were waiting in the wing for the Urhobo youths to kick start violence. But common sense prevailed at the end of the day.

Daily Independent reliably gathered that the CSO position is meant for the Itsekiri nation and they are only prepared to relinquish it for the position of Head of DESOPADEC Infrastructure department held by the Urhobo nation.

A staff of the Commission who pleaded anonymity said the staff that was deployed from the Oghara out station office of the Commission to come and head the Security Department is just a level 09 officer to replace the current one on grade level 14, saying that such practice is against the Civil Service rule as there are more senior officers in the department at the Head office to occupy such post when the need arises.

He said an Urhobo youth group had allegedly extracted a promise from Governor Okowa during his electoral campaign that he would accord them that position when he eventually emerged the governor and has accordingly instructed the Managing Director, Chief Williams Makinde to effect his promise.

Consequently and allegedly without recourse to the Board of the Commission as provided for in Section 16 of the new DESOPADEC Bill recently signed into law by the Governor Okowa, he said the Managing Director “unilaterally carried out a re-deployment exercise in a circular dated 09^th September, 2015 with ref no. DES/DEPT/4/AS/250/59 in which he appointed an all Urhobo Confidential Secretaries for the five (5) new Executive Directors of the Commission with the CSO being deployed to the legal department.

It was gathered that since the release of the circular tension has taken over the life of the Commission creating a very un-conducive work environment for innocent staff. To douse the tension it was gathered, the Chairman of the commission, Hon. Godwin Ebosa on 11 September, 2015 issued a circular with ref no. DES/CH/01/CH/001/01 suspending the re-deployment, stating therein, “the deployment are hereby suspended until the board rectify same. This is based on the security situation of the commission”.

Meanwhile, Daily Independent gathered that the Navy, SSS and military authorities have been informed of the impending violence and the presence of these unwanted youths milling round the Commission’s office.

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