Bailout Pittance: Why Okowa ordered snub of ex-LG Transition Members

Facts have emerged on why Delta State Governor, Dr. Ifeanyi Okowa ordered Local Government Chairmen in the State to exclude former Transition Committee Members in the payment of the N3.2 billion bailout pittance just released to the Local Government Councils out of the N20billion purportedly received by the State Government.

A PDP Chieftain in the State who disclosed the true position in a telephone chat with Our Correspondent said Governor Okowa told the 25 Local Government Chairmen in the State not to include the immediate past Transition Committee Chairmen and Members in the payment of the controversial bailout funds, because of their decision to drag the State Government to Court over severance package despite all entreaties against the move.

The Governor was said to have promised the former Transition Committee Members that his administration will pay them 3 million naira each, but they bluntly refused, apparently not satisfied with the deal and opted to go to Court to press for better deal.

The luck of the former Local Government Transition Committee members ran sour when they lost the case in Court and are now left with nothing, even as feelers indicate that they are now willing to accept anything that come their way.

Meanwhile, tongues are wagging following the lopsided release of the bailout pittance to Local Government Councils in Delta State.

While some of the Local Government Councils received up to N180 million and N190 million, others like, Ethiope East Council and Warri South Local Government Councils with large population and major crude oil production quantum getting a paltry N140 million, which can only pay two months’ salary out of the five months owed staffers of the Council.

Staffers of the Councils as at the time of this report wondered why only N3.2 billion was released to the Local Government Councils of the N5.5 billion that would have cleared their salary arrears and why same amount was not released to the affected Local Government Councils.

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