News making the round has it that funds accruing to the Delta State Oil Producing Area Development Commission (DESOPADEC) are been allegedly diverted by the state Governor, Senator (Dr) Ifeanyi Okowa, thereby starving the Commission of funds.
It was gathered that the 50% of the 13% Derivation Funds from the federal allocation which is supposed to be given to the Commission to meet its obligation to host communities is purportedly been diverted by the governor.
Investigations revealed that the state governor allegedly pays N500 million monthly to the embattled governor, Chief James Onanefe Ibori who is serving jail terms in London Prisons for money laundry while his Western Delta University in Oghara, is also been funded by Okowa.
It was also alleged that following the fall in oil price, the governor has also resorted to the funds from DESOPADEC to pay his uncounted numbers of Special Advisers (SAs).
According to our sources, the Board is presently a skeleton of what it used to be as funds are carted away to private pockets and personal use.
Though, the Managing Director (MD) of the dying Board, Olorogun Williams Makinde could not be reached at press time for his comments, it was reliably gathered that he has been barred from relating with the press following his comments at an interactive session with the media that the fall of oil prices was not enough reason for a governor not to perform.
Text messages sent to the Commissioner for Information, Mr. Patrick Ukah and the Chief Press Secretary (CPS) to the governor, Mr. Charles Ehiedu Aniagwu, who said he was in the US were not replied.
