•Former Delta governor did not misappropriate 13% derivation, says HOSTCOM
Chuks Okocha in Abuja and Sylvester Idowu in Warri
The immediate past Commissioner for Information in Delta State, Mr. Charles Aniagwu, has said the accusations by elder statesman, Chief Edwin Clark against former Governor Ifeanyi Okowa were at variance with the reality in the state.
Aniagwu said this just as the Host Communities of Nigeria (Producing Oil & Gas), Delta State chapter, has said the immediate past governor did not divert or misappropriate the 13 per cent Derivation funds meant for the state.
Aniagwu, noted that Clark was being used to settle political scores by those who lost out in the governorship contest of the state, stressing that Clark had not been to Delta for a long time.
He insisted that those telling him (Clark) stories about Okowa’s administration were doing so for political reasons.
Speaking on a television programme monitored in Abuja, Aniagwu, said Clark and some other leaders had a different candidate in the state governorship election but were defeated because of Okowa’s performance and the credibility of the current Governor, Sheriff Oborevwori.
According to Aniagwu: “In the run-down to the general elections, the elder statesman and some other persons had their own candidate and for us in Delta we subjected the gubernatorial contest to the crucibles of democratic process.
“In the course of the contest, our present Governor, Rt. Hon. Sheriff Oborevwori defeated other aspirants and emerged the candidate of the PDP and after defeating them at the primaries they decided to pitch tent with the APC.
“When we proceeded to the general election, Deltans across the 25 local government areas, specifically 21 out of the 25 voted overwhelmingly for Rt. Hon. Sheriff Oborevwori on account of two reasons.
“One, because of the performance of Senator Dr. Ifeanyi Okowa and because of the credibility Oborevwori enjoys having presided over the State House of Assembly for six years and has shown indeed that he is a man that can be trusted with the resources of the state.
“These individuals having lost the election decided to throw mud on Okowa believing that he was the reason why they lost and hence they have progressed along that line,” he said.
Aniagwu also said Clark supported the former governor almost throughout his tenure and did not raise any concerns while he was in office thereby buttressing the fact that his accusations were politically motivated.
He further said; “Let me place it on record that the elder statesman supported us overwhelmingly in 2019 and in the course of giving his support at that time, he was very clear on the performance of Governor Ifeanyi Okowa.
“He was quite specific on the amount of milestones we have recorded in the creeks and of course in the coastal communities where he is from. Indeed, he was very clear on the amount of successes we have recorded and in the course of two years of our second tenure he was very much with us praising what we were doing.
“At his age, we believe that the elder statesman should begin to have discussions that will help advance the state rather than telling stories that he was told by individuals having different intentions,” Aniagwu said.
On Clark’s accusation that DESOPADEC law was amended to accommodate Ika ethnic nationality, Aniagwu said there was no truth in the accusation because Oil Mining Licence OML 147 is located in Obi-Ayima and Owa-Alidinma in Ika Federal Constituency with Pan Ocean as the company drilling from the oil field.
“Chief Clark has led a good life and has contributed immensely to national discuss in the past and we do not want individuals to lead him in a direction that does not suggest he was telling stories that are not indeed in tandem with reality because the issues he raised are at variance with reality.
“We plead with him that being our father, he has a responsibility to guide all of us and let me also place it on record that we didn’t send anybody to beg him as alleged.
“The amendment we brought to bear on DESOPADEC was to improve the governance structure of the Commission and today DESOPADEC has been able to construct roads, build bridges and jetties, schools and linked communities like Utonlila, Ogbogoro, Ogheye-Dimigun in Warri North Local Government Area of the state.
“Okowa has visited the creeks much more than any leader in Delta State. We went to almost all the oil producing Communities in the state and we have advanced the construction of Trans-Warri Road with 19 bridges to Ode-Itsekiri and am sure the elder statesman is not aware of this.
“The storm drainages we are building in Warri and environs have largely mitigated the ravaging effects of flood thus paving way for the reconstruction of roads along such corridor,” Aniagwu said.
The former Commissioner for Information said Okowa administration established three new universities to improve access to higher education by upgrading existing three higher institutions, adding that throughout the eight months ASUU strike, all the four universities in the state were in session because the state government provided for the schools what their federal counterparts were demanding.
“We are very proud of what we did in the eight years of our administration and we are very much willing to give account of that any time, any day,” Aniagwu stated.
Meanwhile, the Communities of Nigeria (Producing Oil & Gas) Delta State chapter has said Okowa did not divert or misappropriate the 13 per cent Derivation funds coming to the State.
The group, made up of Itsekiri, Ijaw, Urhobo, Ndokwa, and Ika ethnic nationalities, rose in defence of the former governor at a press conference yesterday, held in Effurun, Uvwie local government area. They commended Okowa for effectively managing the 13 per cent Derivation in the state.
Members of oil and gas producing Communities of Delta State, had last week, stormed the headquarters of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to demand Okowa’s probe and investigation, for alleged illegal and unlawful diversion of host communities 13 per cent oil derivation funds.
But the State Chairman of HOSTCOM, Sunday Enujeke, maintained that the funds earmarked for the development of oil and gas bearing communities were judiciously used to the best of their knowledge, insisting that Okowa has done very well in the management of the said funds.
He said the allegations of alleged misappropriation of the 50 per cent accruable to DESOPADEC from the 13 per cent Derivation Fund by Okowa was a calculated attempt to mislead, confuse, and incite the public against the person of Okowa.
“We observed with great concern and consternation, the orchestrated campaign of calumny against the immediate past Governor of Delta State, Dr Ifeanyi Okowa, concerning the alleged misappropriation of the 50 per cent accruable to DESOPADEC from the 13 per cent Derivation Fund.
“There is a deliberate attempt to distort the facts, misinform, and hoodwink the populace into fighting their proxy war against the past Governor.
“We are a registered body in Nigeria with RC number:23281, and saddled with the responsibility of advocating for accelerated development across the Oil and Gas communities of Delta State particularly, and Nigeria in general. As the name implies, we have the mandate to give the public first-hand information as it relates to the usage of our common patrimony which is the 13 per cent Derivation, as it relates to Delta State.
“We can state without any fear of contradiction that the funds earmarked for the development of oil and gas bearing communities has been judiciously used to the best of our knowledge and we unequivocally say that Senator Dr Okowa has done very well,” he said.
