Members of oil and gas producing communities in Delta State have said no amount of intimidation and other actions taken by those it referred to as 'sycophants' will distract their quest for accountability and transparency over their litigation against some state actors to account for over N1.8 trillion Naira of the 13% oil derivation funds to oil producing communities in the state.

The group, consisting of representatives of Ijaw, Itsekiri, Ndokwa and Isoko ethnic nationalities, made their views known on Tuesday, July 4, 2023, at the hearing in the High Court, Warri, over their litigation against former governors Emmanuel Uduaghan and Ifeanyi Okowa, the Delta State Oil Producing Areas Development Commission (DESOPADEC), and the Attorney-General of the state, seeking the interpretation of Section 162(2) of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (as amended) and section 13(1) of DESOPADEC Law of 2006 (as amended), 2007, 2015 and 2018.

"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," said Chief Sheriff Mulade, a member of the group while speaking to the media at the venue.

Speaking further, he said, “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.

“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”, Chief Mulade added.

The foremost peace and environmental advocate, who is a custodian to the Ibe Serimowei traditional title in Gbaramatu Kingdom, Warri South-West LGA, stated further that the former governors particularly Okowa squandered the state resources such that the current administration was forced to borrow to offset certain debts.

“It is unfortunate to state that based on available records, our dynamic Governor Rt. Hon. Sheriff Oborevwori met an empty treasury and some of the Delta State Accounts have less than a billion naira which has forced the state government to borrow huge sum of money in less than one month in office under the guise of settling local government pensioners in the state,” he noted.

It would be recalled that Chief Mulade had recently mobilized oil and gas producing communities in the State to Headquarters of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) in Abuja, seeking the Commission to investigate and recover missing and misappropriated funds back to DESOPADEC to enable the state commission carry out developmental projects in the host communities.

The court adjourned hearing of the case to 24th October, 2023.

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