……Challenges Him, Okowa To Disclose To Deltans How Much Board Has Received So Far Since Inception
A commissioner in the Delta State Oil Producing Areas Development Commission, (DESOPADEC), who for obvious reasons pleaded for anonymity, has described the commission’s Executive Director, Social Services Development, Mr. Ochor Chris Ochor as an illiterate pathological liar who does not know his right from his left.
The commissioner who was reacting to a rebuttal signed by Ochor unbehalf of the commission on the N500 million released to it, said “I challenge Ochor and governor Okowa to come out publicly to tell Deltans how much has DESOPADEC gotten so far since inception as a governor and how much we receive monthly as money accruing to the commission from the 50% of the 13% derivation.”
Ochor had unbehalf of DESOPADEC, faulted HardReporters story on the N500 million recently released to the commission by governor Ifeanyi Okowa to run the commission and upset debts been owed contractors. According to the Executive Director Social Services Development, the publication was pitching the members of the board and the governor with intention to rubbish the members of the board before the government and people of the mandate area.
“The board had not sat for any management meeting recently, and in no time had the members either at board level or management level discussed the amount released, and was neither any time members of the board or management openly complained about the amount released to the commission. 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. This is total lie. It is funny for anybody to go to the press to make such a claim. Because the said money released was for contractors and not for running the commission.” Ochor had stated.
The commissioner who had last week exposed to HardReporters the release of the paltry N500 million and ill-treatment and financial strangulation been melted out to the commission by governor Okowa, maintained his ground saying he stand by all he confided in this medium earlier on the paltry N500 million, insisting that Okowa has killed and buried the commission because of political reasons best known to the governor.
“Ochor is a disgrace to his generation, how can illiterate like Ochor reaffirmed the board and managements confidence in Okowa to repositioning it to the development of oil and gas communities, when all of us know that governor Okowa has killed the commission. Once again, I challenge Ochor and Okowa to prove me wrong by coming out publicly and declare how much has so far been given to us as a commission vis-a-vis monthly allocation of the 50% of the 13% derivation.
“Can you imagine Ochor shouting that people should leave DESOPADEC and Governor Okowa alone. What a disservice and insult to Deltans. So, Okowa actually released N500 million.? Now, you begin to ask yourself, out of N11 billion been owed contractors you are giving a paltry N500 million, is that not deceptive, madness of the highest order.? Ochor statement is laced with lies and has only succeeded in rubbishing governor Okowa the more.
HardReporters had on July, 27, 2017 ran an exclusive story exposing grievances of the leadership of the Delta State Oil Producing Areas Development Commission, (DESOPADEC) on governor Ifeanyi Okowa, resulting to lambasting of the governor over a recent release to the commission of a paltry N500 million out of the N4.5 billion 50% of 13% derivation funds due them.
Expressing his grievances over the corrupt manner governor Okowa is said to be running the affairs of the commission, an angry commissioner who don’t want his name mentioned had confided in HardReporters senior correspondent that from the Managing Director of the commission, Mr. Williams Makinde, to Commissioners, Directors and the board, non is happy with the governor.
“We have decided to be placing curses on Okowa. He will never succeed in his second tenure. Enough is enough we are wiser now. Can you imagine governor Okowa releasing to us paltry N500 million to run the commission, to pay contractors, pay staff and others.? We are aware that in the allocation that came in June and by right of 50% of 13% derivation funds, N4.5 billion was accrued but the governor who is running the commission as sole administrator released to us paltry N500 million. What can this money do.?
“We are not happy at all at all, everybody is seriously angry with the governor’s style of leadership especially as its affect the commission. We are dying in silent, I can tell you authoritatively that the MD himself and all of us, non is happy with governor Okowa. Because of fear nobody is complaining but we have decided that we will begin to open up to the press now. Emergence of Okowa as a governor is a life time mistake ever done by us.” the commissioner had lamented.
