…..”Cock And Bull Story, Let Okowa Tell Deltans How Much Has Been Released So Far To Us From January Till Date”—Management Staff
Delta State Oil Producing Areas Development Commission, (DESOPADEC), may have contradicted itself on the N500 million claimed to have been released to it recently by governor Ifeanyi Okowa to offset contractors debts. Two top management officials of the commission have publicly disagreed and contradicted themselves on the said released amount so far, thereby displaying some levels of dishonesty.
As soon as HardReporters broke the news of N500 million released by governor Okowa to the commission to run its affairs, the commission’s Executive Director Social Services Development, Mr. Ochor Chris Ochor in a statement reacting to the story called the publication, biased with the intention to rubbish the members of the board before the government and people of the mandate area.
According to Ochor, “Recently members of the Indigenous Contractors Association, carried out a protest to the commission to demand for payment for completed jobs, this was widely reported in the media, and the protesters were informed of the release of the sum of N500 million naira to offset part of the money owned the contractors.
“And after that meeting with the contractors, the Managing Director travelled for official duty and no other meeting since the meeting with contractors. Because the said money released was for contractors and not for running the commission. If N500 Million was released to pay the contractors, what does that tell you. Is the N500 million that was meant for the contractors money to run the commission, pay staff salary and other exigencies.” Ochor queried.
But barely 24 hours after Ochor’s statement, another statement signed by the commission’s “chronic corrupt” Executive Director, Finance and Administration, Mr. Askia Ogieh, disagreed and contradicted earlier statement by his colleague, saying authoritatively that the contractors were erroneously informed of an alleged release of the sum of N500 million naira to offset part of the money owed them.
“As the Executive Director (Finance and Administration) at the Delta State Oil Producing Areas Development Commission (DESOPADEC), I have therefore decided to set the records straight for the proper understanding of members of the public who may have been misled or misinformed about the financial activities in the Commission.
“The Commission wishes to remind Deltans, especially those from DESOPADEC mandate areas, that recently members of the Indigenous Contractors Forum, carried out a protest to the commission to demand for payment for completed jobs because the protesters were erroneously informed of an alleged release of the sum of N500 million naira to offset part of the money owed the contractors.” Ogieh contradicted Ochor.
“The Delta State Oil Producing Areas Development Commission (DESOPADEC) has deemed it imperative to explain its financial records of receipt and expenditure as it affects the allocation from the state government for the month of July, 2017. A total sum of one billion, six hundred and fifty million naira (N1,650,000,000) was released to the Commission by the state government for the month of July, 2017.
“Out of the total sum received, One Billion Naira (N1,000,000,000) is meant for Capital Expenditure: Payment of Contractors, i.e Ethnic and Centralized projects while Six Hundred and Fifty Million Naira (N650,000,000) is for Personnel, Overhead and other Operational Costs.” Ogieh added.
With Ogieh’s explanation, it means Ochor told lies as he was not properly informed before hurriedly issuing a statement saying the N500 million was for the payment of contractors but according to Ogieh the contractors were “erroneously informed of an alleged release of the sum of N500 million naira to offset part of the money owed the contractors.”
Indigenous contractors had on Monday besieged the commission’s headquarters protesting against governor Ifeanyi Okowa insensitivity and non payment of over N11 billion been owed them saying the paltry N500 million released to upset debts been owed them was nothing to write home about.
Meanwhile, our impeccable top management source in the commission has challenged governor Okowa to show Deltans evidences of the N1.650 billion claimed to have been released to the commission vis-a-vis how much he has so far released to DESOPADEC from January 2017 till date.
“I don’t want to talk about previous years, but I am challenging governor Okowa to be bold enough to tell Deltans how much he has so far released to the commission from January 2017 till date June if he is a sincere ” born again” as always claimed. We thank God for a news medium like HardReporters, that has pressurised the self acclaimed born again governor to come out to tell us “lies” on the finances of DESOPADEC after two and half years. For the first time they are all speaking out, though, “fabricated lies”.
“Again, I challenge Okowa, DESOPADEC MD, and Askia to come out to show Deltans true evidences of the N1.650 billion claimed to have been released to the commission. What do you make out of the Ochor’s and Askia’s contradictory statements.?. Okowa has killed and buried DESOPADEC and I stand to be corrected.” our source asserted.
