Oil bearing communities have vowed that the immediate-past governor of Delta State, Dr. Ifeanyi Okowa and his predecessor, Dr. Emmanuel Uduaghan must account for 13% derivation funds accrued to the state under their watch.
They particularly demanded for the former governors to give adequate account for funds meant to develop host communities via the Delta State Oil Producing Areas Commission, DESOPADEC.
The communities made the demand at the commencement of the hearing of a case filed against Okowa and Uduaghan at the Federal High Court in Warri.
Foremost rights activist, Comrade Sheriff Mulade, who spoke on behalf of the communities said the fight was to secure a better deal for host communities in the state.
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Daily Report Nigeria reports that the former governors, DESOPADEC and Attorney-General of the State to High Court are all defendants in the case seeking interpretation of Section 162 (2) of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and Section 13 (1) of the DESOPADEC Law 2006 (as amended) 2007, 2015 and 2018 respectively.
The quartet is also expected to account for over N1.8 trillion Naira of 13% oil derivation funds to oil producing communities of Delta State.
At the court section on Tuesday July, 2023, representatives of Itsekiri, Ndokwa and Isoko ethnic nationalities also filed to join the suit.
The suit follows a protest at the headquarters of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) two weeks ago, where Mulade mobilised host communities and implored the commission to investigate, probe and recover all missing and misappropriated funds back to DESOPADEC to enable the commission carry out developmental projects in the host communities.
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He stated that the immediate past commissioner for information, Mr Charles Aniagwu confirmed to Arise TV that Okowa remitted only N208billion against 538,725,142,776.085,” which means that over 330bn Naira oil and gas producing Communities of Delta State is missing, therefore we demand accountability”.
While responding to questions from journalists, the former chairman of oil rich Kokodiagbene Community in Gbaramatu Kingdom, Warri South West LGA of the State asserted;
“We are not going to be distracted by hired political sycophancy, who are trying to bring political coloration and other primordial sentiments to instigate the gullible public to undermine the genuine demands to know how our resources are being spent.
“We are for accountability and transparency and we are prepared to use our last drop of blood to fight for a better deal for our suffering people who are supposed to be enjoying the funds from their natural resources.
“It is worthy of note that what we are fighting for is to recover our missing funds and equally free the state from the claws of the immediate past Governor Senator Dr Ifeanyi Arthur Okowa to enable our amiable Governor, His Excellency, Rt Hon Sheriff Oborevwori administration to be independent and deliver on his electoral mandate and promises to Deltans through his M.O.R.E Agenda.
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“It is unfortunate to state that based on available records, our dynamic Governor Rt Hon Sheriff Oborevwori met an empty treasury and some of the Delta State Accounts have less than a billion naira which has forced the state government to borrow huge sum of money in less than one month in office under the guise of settling local government pensioners in the state”.
However, the case was adjoined till October 24, 2023 for further hearing.
