BEVERLY HILLS, January 05, (THEWILL) – Alleged misappropriation of N100million fund by some officials of the Delta State Oil Producing Areas Development Commission (DESOPADEC) have led to serious controversy among some of the ethnic groups in the state.
According to sources who spoke on the condition of anonymity with THEWILL, the funds, meant for the empowerment of youths in the five oil producing ethnic nationality in Delta state, was released based on a N20million sharing formula but was not disbursed appropriately.
They also alleged that the fund, which is given to the ethnic nationalities monthly, is often hijacked by the commissioners who handpick a few people likely to cause trouble over the funds and pay them.
The allegation was exacerbated when some youths from Ndokwa ethnic nationality accused the commissioner representing the area in the DESOPADEC board for allegedly conniving with the state deputy speaker, Hon. Friday Osanebi, to pocket a chunk of the money released in December, last year.
It would be recalled that DESOPADEC was in December, last year, embroiled in a N50million Christmas/end of year party scandal, an allegation which the Managing Director, Chief Williams Makinde has since debunked.
The youths who protested in Warri alleged that Osenebi allegedly pocketed the sum of N1.4billion which was their share from the empowerment package collected on behalf of Ndokwa nation since 2013.
Sources also told THEWILL that Mr. Askia Ogieh, Executive Director, Finance and Administration, DESOPADEC, and Mr. Ovie Oghoore, the commissioner representing Isoko nationality in the commission, were also fingered in the messy misappropriation of funds meant for Isoko ethnic nationality.
They further alleged that Ogieh and Oghoore squandered N16million out of N20million meant for Isoko nation for frivolous excuses including a trip to Dubai with some youths in order to gain their support in a bid to douse the tension which the alleged misappropriation of fund had generated.
When contacted by THEWILL, Ogieh vehemently denied the allegations saying that they are all “lies from the pit of hell.”
President of Isoko National Youth Assembly, Mr. Victor Okemena Egbo, who also doubles as Special Assistant to Governor Ifeanyi Okowa, was also accused of conniving to defraud the Isoko beneficiaries.
He however denied the allegations, confirming that only N4million was allegedly released to him as empowerment package for Isoko youths.
