Chief Oke Idawene JP
By Ameachi Prosper
Asaba: The Social Democratic Party, SDP, has accused Governor Ifeanyi Okowa of Delta State of squandering about N100 billion so far assessed from the fifty percent state derivation of the thirteen percent for the oil bearing communities.
The party’s state Chairman, Chief Oke Idawene JP, in a statement titled; “2016 Assessment of Governor Okowa’s led Administration”, revealed that governor Okowa has assessed about N100 billion so far from the Delta State Oil Producing Area Development Commission, DESOPADEC thirteen percent derivation but could not give account of how the funds have been expended.
“We hereby make a wake-up call to all Deltans to arise and tell Okowa the truth from His vision to his pledges and from his pledges to his SMART programme, that he has failed woefully for almost two years in office.” He said.
According to SDP, “With about 300 billion naira loans and allocations plus special funds inclusive, there is no star project to show. On infrastructural development, he is working on 1-3 kilometre roads and he is yet to complete most of these roads projects. Please note, in Delta state majority of the roads being worked on are done by the NDDC. He promised prosperity for all Deltans, today, its abject poverty for Deltans, workers are groaning, co-operative money of civil servant of Delta state is being withheld by the government”.
SDP said budget of 2016 perform only at 26%, yet the government increased the budget from 268.17 billion naira in 2016 to 270.910 billion naira in 2017 (in recession), even when contracts are being over bloated and inflated and awarded only to his close allies.
“The governor is practically is using the antics of cosmetic measures to deceive Deltans. Last December N14.8 billion naira was remitted from Paris club, other governors have paid January salaries and doing wonderfully with projects, governor Okowa is still complaining.”
