OLEH—A group, Delta
Elite Movement, DEM, has urged Delta State Government to set up a committee to
audit Delta State Oil Producing Areas Development
Commission, DESOPADEC’s account in line with projects executed since its inception and probe those found wanting.
Commission, DESOPADEC’s account in line with projects executed since its inception and probe those found wanting.
It lamented that the
commission had failed to live up to its expectation of utilizing 50 percent of
the 13 percent oil derivation fund accruing to the state in the rehabilitation
and development of oil producing areas “as well as carry out other development
projects as may be determined from time to time.”
Noting that “the oil
producing areas which include Itsekiri, Ijaw, Urhobo, Isoko and Ndokwa, have
been left undeveloped,” the group, in a statement by its President, Enis
Ogegere said: “It is no news that since
its creation, several billions of naira have been budgeted as the annual
budgets of the commission but what the oil producing areas have to show for
those billions are a few watery and abandoned projects of no economic
importance to the state.
“For instance, DESOPADEC budgets in 2013 and 2014
amounted to N37 billion and N39 billion respectively. This means that about
N240 billion has found its way through the commission on the average of N30
billion annual budget since inception till 2014. However, it is grossly
irresponsible on the part of the commission as it has failed to account for
this huge amount of money.”
“No wonder the state’s House of Assembly found it
difficult to accept the commission’s budgets for 2015/2016, making DESOPADEC to
operate a zero budget for these two years. The commission, which alleges that
it can no longer pay salaries of staff, still has its board members living
luxuriously at the expense of the core mission of the commission.”
*vanguardngr*
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