… Expresses Uncertainty Over Commissioners Ability
Delta State governor, Senator (Dr) Ifeanyi Okowa has put forth reasons he raised his approval limit to the whooping sum of N250 million from the N50 million maintained by former governors of the state just as he accused his predecessors, Chief James Ibori and the immediate past governor of the state, Dr. Emmanuel Uduaghan of running the government aground over approvals which sometimes run well over a billion naira.
“When I came, in the course of my campaign, I promised to be real, I promised to speak the truth to Deltans, I promised not to deceive people. In the first instance, if an approval limit of N50 million was the limit in 1999, 2000, I believe that as at then N50 million was able to construct a kilometre of road or possibly even construct two kilometres of roads. As at today, you are aware that N50 million cannot construct even half a kilometre of road”, he argued.
Okowa gave this argument Monday while briefing the press during his First Year Performance Report at the Press Centre, Government House, Asaba.
He told journalists that he was not interested in discussing what his predecessors did, “it is right that when you are doing something, you do it right. I also know that as SSG and I was there as commissioner, governor could give approval as much as possible even up to N1 billion or more and they will say it is for EXCO ratification, you are aware that was what was going on in this state, so actually in the real sense of it, the governors do not have a limit, that is the truth”, he bereted them.
Okowa said he has come by way of the truth, as there was need for EXCOS to have a realistic approval limit for the governor, stressing that EXCO need to work on that limit, “if as governor I cannot approve one kilometre road for construction, I will have to wait for EXCO, then, I believe that something is wrong”.
He revealed that the approval limit at the ministerial level at the federal government was close to N1 billion, “so if EXCO says governor let’s raise the approval limit to N250 million, at least if there is an emergency that has to go on, I can approve on that particular road and get it going. So would you rather that I say my approval limit is N50 million, for a project cost for N2 billion, I approve it and say it is for EXCO ratification. In that case, the executive council can’t debate on it any longer”.
He said, “if anybody believe that N250 million is too much of a limit for approval by a governor, I think something is wrong going by that because if I am your governor and we have an 800 metre road that requires an urgent attention and I will have to wait for all the long processes in EXCO and I need to intervene and I cannot intervene, I don’t think it will be right going in that direction”, boasting that his experience cannot be taken away from him by anybody.
“about commissioners having a limit of N2 million in the past that was not true, it was not N2 million and about them having an approval limit of N200, 000 now that is not true because they don’t even have an approval limit because we are trying to manage the funds”, without disclosing the amount.
According to him, the times are critical, “I don’t want any surprises not because I don’t trust my commissioners but I need to restrict approval so that approval that are in line with what we can fund and in line with our plans. That is the only reason we have a restriction and if they have things that are small, they should get it to me for approval because I don’t want to be taken by surprise as governor because times are difficult and we are finding it very difficult to manage our finances”, he said.
It would be recall that in what appears to be a well thought out plan to corruptly enrich himself and his cronies without prying eyes, the governor has increased his expenditure approval limit to N250 million from N50 million which his predecessors, Chief James Onanefe Ibori and Dr. Emmanuel Eweta Uduaghan sets throughout their tenures in a bid to limit abuse, financial recklessness, entrench fiscal discipline and promote accountability in the disbursement of the state’s finances.
The move, it was learnt would allow Governor Okowa singly approve and pay for projects without scrutiny, examination and recourse to the state’s Executive Council so long as the cost is under N250 million. The implication of this is that Okowa can singlehandedly expend over 80 percent of the state’s budget without the input or approval of the Executive Council since the state cannot embark on any multi-billion naira projects because of shortfall in allocations from the federation account.
