A Delta state high court sitting in Warri has placed the governor of the state, Senator (Dr) Ifeanyi Okowa on his toe to declare what he does with the 13 per cent derivation funds, in accordance with the Freedom of Information (FoI), Act even as the Court held that Deltans has the obligation for know what the state government does with their money.
Okowa would now be forced to declare what his government does with the 13 percent derivation his government gets as an oil-producing state.
Justice P. O Onajite Kuejubola, who gave the ruling while delivering judgment in suit number: W/377/2015, between Olakunle Edun and three others and the governor of Delta state, noted that Okowa must make public what happened to 13 percent derivation fund Nigerians have often questioned why some oil-producing states remain poor and undeveloped commensurate to what is earned as derivation.
Okowa who addressed journalists on his one year anniversary deceitfully promised Deltans to run an open government.
Hear him, “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. So, I have come by way of the truth”.
“I am going to use my experience in the best interest of the state not deceitfully and we are open about it, there is nothing hidden about it”.
The suit which was instituted to compel the Okowa-led government to account for the funds followed an allegation that there are no existing infrastructures in Warri and other communities producing oil.
The court declared that by virtue of the provision of section 1 (1) (3) 3 (1) of the Freedom of Act, 2011, the defendant being a public officer, is under a legal obligation to provide the claimants with the information he has requested as contained in the letter, dated September 15, 2015.
The court also ruled that the government must explain why only 50 percent of the derivation funds from the federation account gets to the Delta state Oil Producing Areas Development Commission (DESOPADEC).
The court further declared that all the projects executed with the amount that got to DESOPADEC should be made public.
Apart from this, all the projects executed with the total amount so far paid to the state from the federation account to the date of commencement of the DESOPADEC law (August 1, 2006) must be made public.
At press time, it could not be ascertain whether the governor would/has appealed the judgement.
A Delta state high court sitting in Warri has placed the governor of the state, Senator (Dr) Ifeanyi Okowa on his toe to declare what he does with the 13 per cent derivation funds, in accordance with the Freedom of Information (FoI), Act even as the Court held that Deltans has the obligation for know what the state government does with their money.
Okowa would now be forced to declare what his government does with the 13 percent derivation his government gets as an oil-producing state.
Justice P. O Onajite Kuejubola, who gave the ruling while delivering judgment in suit number: W/377/2015, between Olakunle Edun and three others and the governor of Delta state, noted that Okowa must make public what happened to 13 percent derivation fund Nigerians have often questioned why some oil-producing states remain poor and undeveloped commensurate to what is earned as derivation.
Okowa who addressed journalists on his one year anniversary deceitfully promised Deltans to run an open government.
Hear him, “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. So, I have come by way of the truth”.
“I am going to use my experience in the best interest of the state not deceitfully and we are open about it, there is nothing hidden about it”.
The suit which was instituted to compel the Okowa-led government to account for the funds followed an allegation that there are no existing infrastructures in Warri and other communities producing oil.
The court declared that by virtue of the provision of section 1 (1) (3) 3 (1) of the Freedom of Act, 2011, the defendant being a public officer, is under a legal obligation to provide the claimants with the information he has requested as contained in the letter, dated September 15, 2015.
The court also ruled that the government must explain why only 50 percent of the derivation funds from the federation account gets to the Delta state Oil Producing Areas Development Commission (DESOPADEC).
The court further declared that all the projects executed with the amount that got to DESOPADEC should be made public.
Apart from this, all the projects executed with the total amount so far paid to the state from the federation account to the date of commencement of the DESOPADEC law (August 1, 2006) must be made public.
At press time, it could not be ascertain whether the governor would/has appealed the judgement.
