Contractors beg Tinubu, Oborevwori to  Intervene in Dispute With DESOPADEC Management

Members of Delta State Oil Producing Areas Development Commission (DESOPADEC) Indigenous Contractors Forum (DICF) have pleaded with President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and Delta State Governor, His Excellency Rt Hon Sheriff Oborevwori to urgently intervene in their dispute with the management of the state intervention agency.

The Forum, in a statement signed by it's Chairman, Engr Ogie Samson Oritsebemigho and Secretary, Prince Charles Ebigbagha, issued yesterday also appealed to traditional rulers, political leaders as well as stakeholders to show concerns on the plight of Indigenous Contractors in the hands of the Board and management of DESOPADEC.

It stated that what members were protesting against were ill-treatment by the Board and Management of the interventionist agency and not playing politics with the crisis.

Ogie, in the statement, said that members of the forum were under pressure from banks where they obtained loans to execute contracts for DESOPADEC but that the extremely delay in payment was making the loan payment difficult for members who were battling with accrued interests.

"We want President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, Delta State Governor, His Excellency, Rt. Hon. Sheriff Oborevwori, our traditional rulers to intervene and save DESOPADEC Indigenous Contractors from the excessive ill treatment of indigenes who are Contractors from this high level of poverty and challenges after receiving threat from the management and powers that think that they are above the law  in oil producing areas", he said.

Ogie maintained that all possible moves were made by the Forum's executives to resolve the issues amicably with the Board and Management of DESOPADEC but were ignored hence the resort to protest by members.

"We are not expecting chaos, but truth be told, it is not a good thing to deliberately frustrate this favour that God has given to the good people of the oil producing areas through this interventionist agency. 

"There is no gain saying that having tried every possible peaceful means to ensure that contractors are properly paid after doing their jobs; there is no gainsaying if we requested that we should be paid and contracts reviewed when price of executing contracts becomes impossible to tolerate. 

"We have waited far above the agreed time of patience. It is clear that so many leadership will not wait this long to protest over the situations that contractors are facing, because 70% of what has been killing our members are factors affecting the accrued loan interest collected to execute jobs", he said.

Ogie recalled that DESOPADEC started with mobilisation of contracts awarded adding that when mobilisation stopped, the indigenous contractors did not complain, nor protest against it, stressing that it is not out of place to protest if contractors are not paid for job done.

"We don't do trouble and we are not picking a fight against the government, but it is better to protest against the ill treatment that management is unleashing against staffs, contractors and royal father's who are supposed to be enjoying from the dividends of our great oil producing areas.

"Adequate research should be made as regards this subject matters, then, it will come to limelight that DESOPADEC indigenous contractors forum are peaceful investors right from the inception of the creation of DESOPADEC. 

Secretary of DESOPADEC Indigenous Contractors Forum, Prince Charles Ebigbagha lamented that members were investors who were going through challenges because of negative approach by the Board and Management of the interventionist agency.

"It was brought into this level when the Executive Director, Finance and Administration, Chief kome Okpobor spoke to our Chairman that contractors payment is a trash, and till this level, the Managing Director, Chief Ochonogor has not responded to our demands or address the issues on ground", he said.

Charles lamented that the Managing Director's silence and absence has been his approach towards what they were going through adding "All we need is the good health, economic well-being, and productivity of indigenes who are investors/contractors in DESOPADEC".

The Forum's Secretary noted that the planned protest was not political but "It is our voice that we are trying to save from dying. We have tried every possible means to avert this protest before now only if the above subject matters would have been addressed before now.

"DESOPADEC Indigenous Contractors will protest to kill the fear of death and sickness that has been looming around us as regards accrued loan interest. We are tired of condolence visits to family members of unjust loss of lives because of the economic hardship of our members. 

"We don't want a situation where anyone will be taken to court after office while innocent people are dead already. We want our payment now that we are alive. Instead of the Managing Director, Chief Festus Ochonogor to address issues on ground, it was a DSS personnel, who introduced himself as Mr. Charles as the Head of DSS from Warri South LGA that made a call to our chairman, Engr ogie Samson yesterday 16th January 2024 that said he wanted to address the issue on ground", he explained. 

Charles urged the Board and Management of DESOPADEC to rise up and address the challenges that their members were going through adding "We can only stop the protest on the ground of fairness. We need adequate payment and variation of contracts".

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