Desopadec: ILOT hits DESOPADEC Again ?

When the axe strikes gold, there will be sparks. Renowned Itsekiri group, Itsekiri Leaders of Thought, ILOT has again hit the board of Delta State Oil Producing Areas Development Commission, DESOPADEC afresh, accusing the commission of deliberately facilitating “official corruption” with regards to projects assigned to Itsekiri Nation as its Central (Star) Project in 2016 budget.

In a Press Statement made available to Newsmen in Warri on Monday April 25, the Itsekiri Leaders of

Thought vehemently opposed the location of construction of Units of Cluster houses at Oboghoro/Otonlila in Warri North Local Government Area valued at N361, 257, 119. 00, construction of landing jetty within 30m walkway at Ogheye/Dimigun in Warri North at N70 million, construction of 2km Township Road at Obitugbo Community in Warri North, valued at N400 million as well as clearing, parking 10 acres of land and sand-filling through haulage with 60, 000 cbm of sand at Oboghoro/Otonlila Communities in Warri North at N138 million, saying the about one billion naira project “opaquely budgeted is done with impunity and tainted with vested interest of some members on the DESOPADEC Board and not Itsekiri.”

The statement which was signed by ILOT Secretary, Edward Ekpoko, Esq. and A.S Mene, member, stressed that the construction of 2km Township Road at Obitugbo Community in Warri North Local Government Area, “is a project designed to get access road to a private oil depot owned by the same member of the DESOPADEC Board,” noting that neither the Olu of Warri, Ogiame Ikenwoli nor the Itsekiri Nation were consulted before arriving at the choice of projects sited in only one local government area out of the three dominated by the Itsekiris.

While observing that the sum of N600 million has been added to the wages of Itsekiri Staff in the proposed budget as a result of protest by some ethnic Nationalities that the money withdrawn on first-line charge and collected by individuals from Ijaw and Itsekiri ethnic Nationalities for phony jobs be on second-line charge, ILOT warned, “no money should be budgeted and/or approved for any individual for any phony project either in the name of security or pipeline surveillance.”

The respected Itsekiri group prayed Delta State House of Assembly “to suspend debate and/or passage of the DESOPADEC 2016 Appropriation Bill with regard to the Itsekiri ethnic Nationality Central (Star) projects pending when the Itsekiri people will be consulted and agreed on the projects.”