WARRI/Nigeria: In a highly anticipated court case, the Oil and Gas Producing Communities of Delta State, led by the well-known human and development advocate, Comrade Mulade Sheriff, commenced legal proceedings today. Sheriff reiterated the reasons behind their action, stating that they are dragging two former Governors, Dr. Emmanuel Eweta Uduaghan and Senator Dr. Ifeanyi Arthur Okowa, along with DESOPADEC (Delta State Oil Producing Areas Development Commission) and the Attorney General of the State, to the High Court in Warri. Their objective is to seek the 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. Furthermore, they aim to hold the defendants accountable for over N1.8 trillion Naira of 13% oil derivation funds allocated to the oil-producing communities of Delta State.
During the court session today, on the 4th of July, 2023, at the High Court in Warri, the peace ambassador disclosed that representatives from the Itsekiri, Ndokwa, and Isoko Ethnic Nationalities have filed to join the suit. They also seek the interpretation and accountability of 50% of the 13% oil derivation fund allocated to Delta State during the tenures of former Governors Dr. Emmanuel Ewetan Uduaghan and Senator Dr. Ifeanyi Arthur Okowa.
Notably, Comrade Mulade Sheriff, the environmentalist hailing from Delta State, had recently mobilized oil and gas producing communities in the state to the headquarters of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) in Abuja. He implored the commission to investigate and recover their missing and misappropriated funds, redirecting them back to DESOPADEC to facilitate developmental projects in the host communities. According to Sheriff, Mr. Charles Aniagwu, the immediate past commissioner for information, confirmed to Arise TV that former Governor Okowa remitted only N208 billion out of the allocated 538,725,142,776.085 Naira. This revelation implies that over 330 billion Naira meant for the oil and gas producing communities of Delta State is missing, prompting a demand for accountability.
When questioned by journalists, Comrade Mulade Sheriff, the former chairman of the oil-rich Kokodiagbene Community in Gbaramatu Kingdom, Warri South West Local Government Area 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.”
He further emphasized, “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.”
Comrade Mulade Sheriff also highlighted the unfortunate state of the treasury left by the previous administration, stating, “It is unfortunate to state that based on available records, our dynamic Governor Rt Hon Sheriff Oborevwori
