Ibori’s Daughter, Other Delta State Assembly Members Quarrelling Over DESOPADEC Contract

The Delta State House of Assembly is the scene of a nasty row over lucrative contracts for vehicles, reportedly worth millions of Naira, procured to the Delta State Oil Producing Areas Development Commission (DESOPADEC). According to sources within DESOPADEC, the principal figures in this fight are the House Speaker and his Deputy, Mr. Monday Igbuya and Mr. Friday Osanebi respectively, and the Chairwoman of the House Committee on Finance and Appropriation, Mrs. Erhiatake Ibori.

Mrs. Erhiatake IboriDaily Independent

It will be recalled that Mrs. Ibori who could not speak and read English Language fluently, is the daughter of James Ibori the former Governor of Delta State.

Speaking to SaharaReporters on condition of anonymity, a director at DESOPADEC disclosed that the fight has been going on for quite some time.

The director went on to say that the three are "threatening each other with diabolical means,” he continued stating that three “also threatened the commission [DESOPADEC] if the commission should refuse to give the supply contract to the house.”

The source expressed concern that the current monies allotted for the purchase of vehicles, N200 million, will prove insufficient as the “the price for one vehicle will be tripled” by the corrupt lawmakers.

The anonymous director noted a further complexity to the situation in the person of Mr. Ross Uredi. Mr. Uredi received the governmental contract to supply the vehicles as payback for his support of the election of Governor Ifeanyi Okowa.



According to our source, DESOPADEC invited Mr. Uredi to discuss the contract but he refused to discuss any details, citing DESOPADEC’s lack of funds to purchase the vehicles. The lack of funds is due entirely to the squabbling of the lawmakers. Mr. Uredi also informed DESOPADEC that he could not wait until next year when the commission will have a new budget.