The Delta State Ijaw Ethnic Nationality Oil & Gas Producing Kingdoms' Forum has appealed to Governor Sheriff Oborevwori to call to order the Board of the Delta State Oil & Gas Producing Areas Development Commission, DESOPADEC, over their duties in the payment of indigenous contractors while lamenting the Board's non- and selective partial payment of contractors—an action they said has led to untimely death of contractors and the abandonment of projects in oil-bearing communities in the State despite the Commission receiving over N2.5 billion monthly.

The group also threw its weight behind the DESOPADEC Ijaw Ethnic Nationality Contractors Forum, that earlier, in another publication, issued a 6-point demands to the Board, just as it distanced itself from and demanded an apology from the so-called DESOPADEC Indigenous Contractors Organization "for ever-defaming a well-recognized organization." 

The appeal was made in a letter that was signed by its chairman, Chief Paul Ukuli (Gbaramatu Kingdom) and Secretary, Chief, Engr. Samson Oyimi (Ogbe-Ijoh Warri Kingdom); Public Relations Officer, Chief Perefugha Karawei (Ogulagha Kingdom) and Financial Secretary, Mr. Segun J. Ebiwei (Egbema Kingdom); Treasurer, Chief Henry Suoware (Diebiri Kingdom) and Asst. Secretary, Chief Evans Etimagba (Iduwini Kingdom). Other members are Chief George Timiyan (Gbaramatu), Dr. Friday Deinghan (Ogbe-Ijoh Warri Kingdom), Chief Boro F. Dose (Ogulagha Kingdom), Mr. Gospel Keikpo Samson (Egbema Kingdom), Mr. Newman Ekpo (Kou Kingdom) and Chief Sunny Gbegha JP (Iduwini Kingdom).

The group, which rated the Governor Oborevwori administration as people-oriented, issued a three-point demands and appealed to the Governor to intervene as the contractor's Forum can no longer endure and accept what they regarded as a "gross violation" of the original intent of the Commission's existence.

The letter, titled "DESOPADEC Has Failed In Its Mandate Over Their Programs And Activities (Call Them To Order)", with copies made to substantial stakeholders in the Commission and in the State, reads in part:

"Our attention has been drawn to the activities and programs of DESOPADEC with reference to the above subject matter.

"We must first and foremost express our thanks and appreciation to your people-oriented policies and programs, more importantly to the MORE Agenda which include: Meaningful Development, Human Capital Development, Infrastructural Development, Environmental Sustainability, Opportunity for all, Realistic Reforms and finally enhanced peace and security.

"You are a doing well Governor, your projects and programs under review goes across all nooks and crannies of Delta State and this is a testament of the fact that your second tenure is guaranteed.

"Your Excellency Sir, we wish to draw your attention to the present Board of DESOPADEC who has failed in their duties in the payment of indigenous contractors and must be called to order. This present Board has disappointed the oil-bearing communities which they represent in the Commission and that negate the purpose for which the commission was established since 2006. It is common knowledge and a known fact that the bedrock of the law establishing DESOPADEC is to cater for the welfare and well-being of the oil-bearing kingdoms through the instrumentality of the 13% Revenue Derivation Funds from the Federal Government accruing to Delta State which 50% of it is used by the Board to develop the oil-bearing communities in the state.

"Unfortunately, the Board has denied the oil-bearing communities contractors their payment and if they managed to pay, it is paltry sum and that has nothing to write home about. This singular attitude of the Board has sent many of our oil-bearing communities contractors to their untimely grave due to huge debt burden they took from financial institutions in the execution of projects and could not meet up repayment. Some projects are even left abandoned.

"Your excellency, we are also aware of the monies transmitted to the Commission worth over N2.5 billion monthly and yet the Commission is coming up with one flimsy excuse or the other and we quote “Governor has not paid for two months, we are still waiting for funds” this is enough. The commission should stop deceiving the communities they represent, in no distant time we shall come up with detailed statistics of monies that has been transmitted to the commission over this obnoxious behaviour and deception.

"It is also noteworthy to state further that if the commission is magnanimous enough to release at least One Billion Naira alone to pay their indigenous contractors, it will go a long way in solving and alleviating the problems of our indigenous contractors.

"This incessant attitude of non-payment of contractors by DESOPADEC has discouraged many financial institutions to sponsor any DESOPADEC Project that has left many of the community projects abandoned; may be the commission is not aware of the whistle-blowing policy towards good governance drive of the state. The Board operations regarding payment of contractors has become a cabal, a selective game of who they decide to pay or not to pay thereby trading with the destinies of the oil-producing communities.

"We also wish to state that in a recent online publication, some persons who are not known to us, who also called themselves in the name and style of DESOPADEC Indigenous Contractors discredited our DESOPADEC Ijaw Ethnic Nationality Contractors Forum by calling the Ijaw Ethnic Nationality Contractors Forum ‘Self-Acclaimed’ Organization. This is not true. The Forum is well known to us, they are not self-acclaimed neither they are fake. We therefore want this so called Indigenous Contractors Organization to render an apology for ever-defaming a well-recognized organization.

"In view of the foregoing, we demand as follows:

"1. We are in complete agreement with the 6-points demands issued by the Ijaw Ethnic Nationality Contractors Forum. We attach the said letter for your ease of reference.

"2. The Commission should come up with the 2024 Budget and its full implementation just as they have fully implemented the recurrent and centralized budget.

"3. In the spirit of equity, fairness and justice, every payment accruing to the commission should be disbursed on the existing production quota among the ethnic nationalities in line with the law that establishes the commission.

CAVEAT

"Your Excellency sir, our communities are highly agitated over this plethora of issues and other matters thereto. With great discontent, we can no longer accept this gross violation because it is against the purpose for which the commission was established. We therefore enjoin you to call DESOPADEC Board to order," the group appealed.

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