THE DESOPADEC 2023 CENTRALIZED BUDGET AND ITSEKIRI - ROBBING PETER TO PAY PAUL

CONTACT:

Chief Edward O. Ekpoko

40, Cemetery Road, Warri, Delta State, Nigeria.

GSM: +234(0)8033918605, +234(0)8021134071

E-mail: edwardekpoko@yahoo.com

Date: 2nd December, 2024

His Excellency,

Rt. (Hon.) Sheriff Oborevwori,

Executive Governor of Delta State,

Government House,

Asaba.

Your Excellency,

THE DESOPADEC 2023 CENTRALIZED BUDGET AND ITSEKIRI

- ROBBING PETER TO PAY PAUL

AN OPEN LETTER TO THE GOVERNOR OF DELTA STATE,

RT. (HON.) SHERIFF OBOREVWORI

         It is with sadness that we have to write Your Excellency this open letter. This is an issue we would have loved to discuss with you privately. However, all attempts to get an appointment to see you proved abortive, hence our resort to this medium.

2.      The Itsekiri Leaders of Thought (ILoT) have watched in bewilderment goings-on in DESOPADEC especially with regard to the 2023 Centralized Budget and how it adversely affects the Itsekiri ethnic nationality.

3.      DESOPADEC is a creation of the law and established, primarily, for the use of part of the 13% derivation fund due to Delta State for the use of oil and gas bearing communities to address the issue of degradation arising from oil and gas prospecting and production. Similar bodies exist in all the oil producing states of the Niger Delta.

4.      The Commission is entitled, by law, to 50% of the 13% derivation revenue from the Federation Account Allocation Committee (FAAC). The fund is exclusively for development of oil producing communities. This does not deprive beneficiary communities from development by use of other state fund.

5.      DESOPADEC, in the interest of justice, equity and fairness has been using a sharing formula (based on quantum of production) for the ethnic nationalities from whose homeland oil is derived.

6.      The sharing formula and/or percentage is as follows:

7.      Projects, either ethnic or centralized are based on this formula. The same also applies to payment of contractors.

8.      We, have observed that the sharing formula is being breached especially with regard to the centralized projects in the DESOPADEC 2023 Budget being implemented.

9.      The table below shows the centralized projects and its distribution in the DESOPADEC 2023 Centralized Budget:

GENERAL SUMMARY FOR CENTRALIZED CAPITAL PROJECTS

10.    From the inception of DESOPADEC, centralized projects, apart from being sited within oil producing communities of each ethnic nationalities, had also followed the sharing formula based on quantum of oil production.

11.    The DESOPADEC 2023 CENTRALIZED BUDGET has breached, not only the law, but also a snub to the oil and gas producing communities of ethnic nationalities. There is no precedent for this action. The Itsekiri ethnic nationality is a major victim of this illegality, breach of precedent, equity and snubbery.

12.    We note with sadness that even within the margin of the oppressive tendencies being practiced in DESOPADEC, a whopping sum of N200,000,000.00 (Two Hundred Million Naira) is being budgeted for the renovation of Warri Club out of the meagre sum allocated to the Itsekiri ethnic nationality.

13.    Warri Club is a private elite organization not exclusive to the Itsekiri. We therefore wonder if DESOPADEC has not become a fiscal cafeteria for people to choose their own take-away. It further shows government’s insensitivity to the hardship and hunger facing Nigerians generally. The money could have been channeled to bursary for Itsekiri students in higher institutions or even primary health care centres that are now in state of dilapidation.

14.    We also observed that what is budgeted for only Osubi (Okpe) is N3,000,000,000.00 (Three Billion Naira). Osubi in Okpe Local Government Area is not an oil producing community. Meanwhile, the Itsekiri, in three (3) local government areas, the largest oil producing ethnic nationality has paltry N315,000,000.00 (Three Hundred and Fifteen Million Naira). What an injustice!

15.    Your Excellency, the Itsekiri people will not tolerate this unfair treatment in just a little over a year of your administration. We wonder what awaits us for the remaining period of this administration. Only time will tell.

16.    Your Excellency, it can never be too late to correct an injustice, we urge you to do same now with regard to the DESOPADEC 2023 CENTRALIZED BUDGET. Let Itsekiri get what is due it.

17.    We wish Your Excellency a Merry Christmas and prosperous New Year in advance.

Signed for and on behalf of the Committee of

the Itsekiri Leaders of Thought

CHIEF EDWARD O. EKPOKO                               

Chairman                                             

SIR A. S. MENE

Secretary

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