Worried by the increasing sharp corrupt practices, immunity clause and the continuous silence of the Delta State governor, Senator Ifeany Okowa, over the federal allocation accrued to the state in the past one year and the Internally Generated Revenue (IGR) from the Delta State Board of Internal Revenue, the state chapter of the Social Democratic Party (SDP) has dared to challenge Okowa, to open up within a month or face legal actions.
The party said after a careful observation, critical analysis and an unbiased assessment of the Okowa-led government in the state, the political party has unequivocally hinted that, “Okowa is running Delta State administration not as an elected governor but as a monarch, a ruler and not a leader”.
In a press release signed and issued in Asaba by the chairman of the party, Hon. Oke Idawene and other leaders, the party pointed out that “Deltans through the SDP want to know the financial status of Delta State allocation from the federation Account since he (Okowa) assumed office. What has happened to the federal bailout fund to pay salaries?
According to the release, the party has also demanded to know what has been happening to the ecological fund, “DESOPADEC financial state, accounts and projects, what happened to the 13% derivation fund? Where is our local government fund?” the party asked.
The party undoubtedly stated that the Internally Generated Revenue (IGR) of the state has not been properly harnessed and shrouded in secrecy, revealing that, “the security in the state has dropped drastically within the past one year”.
The party which also took on the governor on the welfare of civil servants said, “it is pertinent to note that workers (civil servants) in Delta State are in a pitiable condition. We state categorically that Governor Okowa has performed far below Deltans’ expectation”, pointing out that states like Rivers, Akwa-Ibom and Cross Rivers have fared better.
“we make bold to say, if in a month these issues are not addressed, we shall use all legal means to seek redress to ensure Deltans get ‘Transparent and Good Governance’. Enough of closed doors and closed hearts style of government in Delta State”, the party noted.
Investigations revealed that Okowa has cautioned the Chairman of the BIR, Mr. John Onyeme and staffers of the board from having anything to do with the press as the IGR is been syphoned into private pockets even as the N500 million World Bank counterpart fund for ecology has been swindled away.
Text message sent and calls put across to the cell phone of the Commissioner in charge of the ministry, Hon. John Nani, by our correspondent seeking to know what the state government has done were not replied
In his one year anniversary press briefing Okowa could not also give details of the state IGR, “When I addressed the State immediately after my swearing-in as Governor on May 29, 2015, we were in the middle of a serious economic crisis. Our monthly revenue both from the Federation Account and Internally Generated Revenue had dipped significantly”.
