THE Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), yesterday, said it cancelled its planned presidential campaign rally in Rivers State due to rising spate of insecurity in the state.

  Spokesman of the PDP Presidential Campaign Council (PDP-PCC), Mr. Charles Aniagwu, who disclosed this while speaking on a television programme, said the party opted out of the rally because Atiku Abubakar and Ifeanyi Okowa believe that their ambition is not worth the blood of any Nigerian.

  He accused Rivers Governor Nyesom Wike of setting booby traps and mines for Atiku’s supporters in the state, adding that Nigerians didn’t witness half of what Wike is doing in Rivers during the military era in the country, just as he insisted that PDP’s selling point in the election is the abysmal performance of the APC; hence the assurance that it would win virtually all the strongholds of the APC in the country.

  Aniagwu stated: “Is it not preposterous that a Wike, who claimed APC had cancer and PDP malaria that was treatable, has now turned around to support same Tinubu and APC he once denigrated? That tells you the character of the man he is.

  “Atiku has examined the whole scenario playing out in Rivers State, yes, he may have enough policemen to secure him and his running mate and indeed some leaders of the party in Rivers, but will it be possible to provide enough security for the massive supporters that would come to the stadium that was approved, cancelled and re-approved?

  “So, like Jonathan said in 2015 that his ambition is not worth the blood of any Nigerian, our presidential candidate and his running mate believe their ambition is not worth the blood of any Nigerian and that they would not want to sacrifice any Nigerian on the altar of wanting to be President.

  “We will device means of talking to our brothers and sisters in Rivers, because we believe that Rivers is still largely PDP and that they will vote for Atiku-Okowa and one way or the other, we will reach out to them and talk to them. But having to organise a rally where anybody will even have to lose his/her life is not something we would want to undertake.

  “As Nigerians, everybody know that the conduct of the Rivers State governor in the whole processes have not demonstrated statesmanship. He is a member of our party and we have accorded him the respect we believe he deserves, but you know that he has reciprocated that by way of his comments, actions and Nigerians must be weary of this kind of conduct.

  “For us, our determination is to bring everybody together in this country and Atiku and Okowa are ever determined to do that. Atiku and Okowa are ready to carry everybody along when they win, including Wike, irrespective of the attacks, and so let no one think that Wike will be in trouble if Atiku wins.

  “Wike will not be in any trouble because that is not on the agenda of Atiku. Atiku is ready to recover our country and if Wike has any role to play in helping to get our country function effectively, we will do that.”

  He said the safety of individuals who comes to the party’s rally was very much important; hence having seen the dangers ahead, the party would not subject its members to such dangers, adding: “We believe that by the grace of God, Atiku-Okowa will not only win Rivers, but they will win majority of votes in this election and at the same time garner 25 per cent in 26 states and the FCT.

  “From the day Atiku-Okowa is pronounced winners, they will start the process of rebuilding this country.” 

THE Federal Government, through the National Universities Commission (NUC), has directed all universities in the country to be shut from February 22 to March 14 over concerns regarding the security of staff, students and properties of the institutions.
  In a letter, the NUC directed all heads of institutions to close down, adding that no academic activities would take place between February 22nd and March 14.

  The closure also affects all inter-university centres.

  The letter, titled, ‘Ministerial Directive on the Closure of all Universities and Inter University Centres During the Upcoming 2023 General Elections,’ signed by the Deputy Executive Secretary in charge of Administration, Chris Maiyaki, dated February 3, said the decision followed concerns about the security of staff, students and the universities’ properties during the general elections scheduled from February 25 to March 14.

  The Commission said the Minister of Education, Mallam Adamu Adamu, gave the directive following consultation with relevant security agencies.

  The letter stated: “Vice Chancellors of all Universities and Directors/Chief Executive of Inter University Centres are quite aware, the 2023 General Elections have been scheduled to hold on Saturday, February 25, 2023, for the Presidential and National Assembly, and Saturday, March 11, 2023 for Gubernatorial and State Assembly, respectively.”

THE Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) on Thursday, February 9, accused the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) of fighting for the retention of old naira notes for the purpose of using it to buy votes in the forthcoming general elections.

  Spokesman of the party’s Presidential Campaign Council (PCC), Mr. Charles Aniagwu, who stated this at a news conference in Asaba, said the ruling party was hiding under the guise of fighting for the suffering masses to perfect its plans of spending stashed old notes on vote-buying.

  Aniagwu said the PDP, having engaged Nigerians on how it intends to recover and rebuild the country from the ruins of the APC-led government, was very much prepared for the elections and warned against moves that could lead to postponement.

  He accused the APC of plotting to derail the electioneering process by instituting frivolous court injunction, warning that the PDP was very ready for the polls to hold as scheduled.

  According to Aniagwu: “We are depending on the interface we have had with Nigerians and we are depending on the fact that Nigerians know that Atiku-Okowa have what it takes to rescue and rebuild Nigeria.

  “Why is the APC going to court to seek extension of the old notes, rather than ask the court to compel the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) to release more new notes to the populace?

  “The PDP, as a political party, would want the elections to hold as scheduled. We are impressing it upon the Federal Government and the CBN to make sure funds are available to the people in line with the limits they have set.

  “This is important so that when you go to the ATM or the banking hall, you should be able to access the little or the much you desire in line with that benchmark. That is because as a campaign organisation and as a political party, we are not depending on vote-buying, we are very confident of the interface we have had with Nigerians.

  “We are confident because Nigerians are looking towards the direction of Atiku Abubakar and Ifeanyi Okowa to recover us from where we are.”

  He said the APC was jittery over the naira redesign policy, because it banked on its stashed funds to buy votes, adding: “Why the APC has been very busy fighting President Muhammadu Buhari and the CBN governor (Godwin Emefiele) because they know that they are losing this election. We are confident that we even want the election to hold tomorrow, so that we can begin the process of recovery.

  “We are very much eager to go into this election because we are very confident that Nigerians are yearning for the PDP to return to power, so that we can begin to move our country forward once again.”

  Aniagwu further said the PDP, as a party, was not interested in joining the suit against the CBN or the Federal Government and any party member who does so is on his own.

  “Anybody in the PDP who says he is joining people to go to court for the purpose of truncating the process does not enjoy the support of our PCC or the party at large. We do appreciate the challenges Nigerians are going through with respect to the scarcity of the redesigned Naira notes, we are comforted by the fact that the CBN said it’s doing something to shore up the available funds, so that banks will be in a better position to meet up with the demands of genuine Nigerians who want to spend their money legitimately.

  “We support every effort to trap all illicit funds and not make them available for this election. We are very much aware that the APC and its presidential available for this election. We are very much aware that the APC and its presidential candidate are depending on stashed funds largely in the old naira notes.

  “That is why you find it very astonishing that three governors of the same political party that initiated a policy are the ones that decided to go to the Supreme Court with a view to short-circuit the progress that is being made.

  “You begin to wonder why they didn’t join the CBN or even the banks, because they know that if they do that, they cannot run to the Supreme Court and so they went ahead to activate the original jurisdiction of the Supreme Court with respect to cases between the Federal Government and the states,” he said.

  Aniagwu, who is also Delta State Commissioner for Information, said Emefiele and the CBN had been a subject of discussion over the naira redesign policy and wondered why they weren’t joined in their ill-fated suit.

  “When they cry, they shout Emefiele, they call CBN, now they went to court, they didn’t not sue the elements, they didn’t sue the CBN. That tells you that that party is only confused, but they also know that they have lost this election.

  “We have it on good authority that the APC is trying to trigger processes that could lead to the postponement of this election, but we are happy with the position of the INEC chairman that this election will hold as scheduled.

  “We are continuing our interface with Nigerians, and as a PCC, we are confident that Nigerians are looking in our direction. We plead with Nigerians that the challenges they are going through today will be over in a not too distant time. The Egyptians they see today they shall see them no more.

  “We are also very happy with Nigerians for the amount of decorum they have maintained even in the midst of the frustration they are going through on account of a whole lot of challenges triggered by the APC in the last seven and half years.

  “The fuel crisis we are having now is worse than any we have had before, just check out the amount you are paying for fuel, yet Nigerians are eager to bear and allow the APC to just go away, so that the PDP can kick-start the process of recovery,” he stated

  Aniagwu said PDP’s presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar, and his running mate, Governor Ifeanyi Okowa of Delta State, were ready to hit the ground running, because the issues militating against the growth and development of the country were very much known to them, noting: “We are not like other presidential candidates that are talking about what they are going to do without talking about how they are going to do it,”

  On fuel scarcity issue, he queried the three governors for not approaching the Supreme Court to resolve the impasse, adding: “How come the three governors didn’t know that we had a Supreme Court? In this country, people were having a very difficult time to even obtain their PVCs, these governors were very busy minding their business.

  “Today, they pose as if what is affecting them is not having naira in the pockets of Nigerians. That is not their challenge, their challenge is how to deploy the old notes that they have stashed. If not, why didn’t they ask the court to impress it on CBN to provide the new naira notes?

  “Why are they interested in the old notes? Nigerians are saying we can’t access the new notes and why can’t these governors go to court to say please print more money let us have the new notes? Why are they busy talking about the old ones?

  “This tells you where they are coming from and I tell you very honestly, with the support of Nigerians, we are very convinced that these Egyptians, we shall see them no more very soon.” 

THE Supreme Court, on Wednesday, February 8, temporarily stopped the move by the Federal Government, through the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), to outlaw the use of the old naira notes as legal tender from February 10.

  A seven-member panel, led by Justice John Okoro, punctured plans by the federal government to stop the use of the old notes while ruling in an exparte application brought by three northern states- Kaduna, Kogi and Zamfara.

  It will recalled that the February 10 deadline for the currency swap announced by the CBN pitted Governors Nasir El-Rufai (Kaduna), Yahaya Bello (Kogi) and Bello Matawalle (Zamfara) against 14 political parties, who threatened to boycott the February 25 presidential election should the CBN extend the time limit.

  This is even as a High Court of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) on Monday, February 6, restrained President Muhammadu Buhari, CBN, its Governor, Mr. Godwin Emefiele, and 27 commercial banks from suspending, stopping, extending or interfering with the currency swap terminal date.

  The lower court order by Justice E. Enenche followed an application by four political parties on behalf of the others.

  But the three governors, who dragged the CBN and the Federal Government to the apex court, are seeking a halt to the full implementation of the naira redesign policy initiated by the apex bank.

AN OPEN LETTER TO GOVERNOR IFEANYI OKOWA ON THE STATE OF AFFAIRS IN DELTA STATE BY CHIEF (DR.) E.K. CLARK OFR, CON ON THURSDAY 2ND JANUARY, 2023

His Excellency,
Senator (Dr.) Ifeanyi Okowa,
Governor of Delta State,
Government House,
Asaba.

YOUR DICTATORIAL GOVERNMENT AND THE REIGN OF UNACCOUNTABILITY IN DELTA STATE
Your Excellency, my letter will definitely come to you as a surprise because of my unusual silence over your nearly eight years governance in Delta State. But my unusual silence does not mean I have kept a blind eye over some corrupt and misuse of power by you. This is particularly, having regards to my activities during your predecessors reign where I openly criticized them, and I was tagged a trouble makers by my detractors; hence I did not act for sometime during your administration. It is my intension therefore to release some of these ugly information to Delta State people by your lack of sincere, lack of honest, and lack of transparent administration. This is especially as the Delta people are scared of you and unable to speak out against your government. Most of them have been reduced to mere robots either because of self interest or personal patronage or the allowances they receive from the Government. I am indeed very sad that some of our leaders from the State who betrayed us in Abuja during Goodluck Ebele Jonathan and Alhaji Atiku Abubakar’s Presidential Primaries in 2010/2011 have relocated to Delta State to perpetuate their evil design again. Let them be warned, otherwise, they will be exposed.
BETRAYAL OF SACRED TRUST
Today, I say with certainty that you are more dictatorial than any other Military Administrator that has administered Delta State since its creation in 1991. I can therefore understand why you have deliberately and immorally betrayed your colleagues of Southern Nigeria and the people for your own selfish ambition by wanting to land on a safer ground by accepting to serve as running mate to Alhaji Atiku Abubakar.
No, by God’s grace your prayer will not be answered. Perhaps, you have forgotten the gravity of the offence you have committed against the people of Southern Nigeria.
In order to cover your nefarious plot, you voluntarily induced everyone to host a meeting of the 17 Southern Governors in Government House Asaba on Tuesday 11th May 2021. You gave them a very good reception and provided them a secretariat that drafted the communiqué under your supervision, which was ably read by the Chairman of the Southern Governors Forum, Governor Rotimi Akeredolu of Ondo State. It was indeed a bombshell, as you collectively demanded for Southern Presidency and insisted that non of you should accept to be a Vice President.
Shortly afterwards, the Southern and Middle-Belt Leaders Forum (SMBLF), which I lead, gave the governor’s declaration 100% support and declared that no Southern serving Governors, Legislators or Politicians should accept to be running mate, particularly to Atiku Abubakar.
The 17 Governors later met again in Lagos and Enugu to affirm the decision taken in your Government House Asaba. Little did we know that you were using this to perfect your secret plan to be running mate to Atiku Abubakar from the very beginning.
We are therefore not surprised that you directed all the delegates from Delta State not to vote for Governor Nyesom Wike of Rivers State or Governor Udom Emmanuel of Akwa Ibom State who are your neighbours but instead, they voted massively for Atiku Abubakar during the PDP Presidential Primaries last year.
It would be recalled in 2007, that Delta State finances were used in funding part of the election of Umaru Musa Yar’Adua through the directive of President Olusegun Obasanjo. We were therefore not surprised when you too have decided to finance Atiku Abubakar with Delta People’s money because; there is nobody to challenge you. I repeat, you will not succeed.
It is therefore in your own interest to openly apologise to your colleagues of both APC and PDP whom you deceived in taking a decision you never believed in. After your unreserved apology to your people and Southern Nigeria, you should step down your ambition of becoming Vice-Presidential candidate of the PDP. There your honour lies.
We can now understand the reason why you are never serious with your Chairmanship of the South-South Governors Forum since this will definitely compromise your ambition. You never for one day joined your colleagues to condemn the atrocities being perpetrated against our people particularly the atrocities being committed by the armed AK 47 herdsmen who invaded Uvwheru, Igbuzor, Okpanam, Abraka and very lately Patani. This is because it will annoy your Northern friends.
However, the Southern and Middle-Belt Leaders Forum (SMBLF) have resolved to oppose your joint candidature with Alhaji Atiku Abubakar and this we will continue to do until election day.
THE REIGN OF CORRUPTION AND THE QUESTION OF 13%
Take note, there are many issues of corruption and abuse of office perpetrated by you and your Government; this is ranging from one of your siblings partaking in the building of the Prof. Chike Edozien New Civil Service Secretariat Complex, Asaba. Because of the trust and believe we had in you at the time, we did not react to the exposing report made by Sahara Reporters on the 19th April, 2018, where he accused you of being the brain behind the fraud scandal related to the new secretariat complex in Asaba. I reproduce hereunder part of the scandalous allegations made against you and your cohorts by Sahara Reporters;
“Scandal: Gov. Okowa, Sister, SSG, Others Embroiled In N13.6bn Secretariat Complex Fraud

April 19, 2018
Sahara Reporters, New York
NEWS
Delta state Governor, Mr. Ifeanyi Okowa, his sister, Ivana Shenton, Secretary to the State Government, (SSG), Festus Ovie Agas, Commissioner for Special Duties, Government House, Asaba, Henry Sakpra, a former Zenith Bank manager, Osadebe Osakwe and others have been indicted in a N13.6 billion fraud scandal related to a new secretariat complex being built by the state.

Information available to this website indicated that the governor awarded the contract for the new central secretariat complex to North China Construction Company Nigeria Limited (NCCG) which allegedly has the governor’s sister, Ivana Shenton and former Zenith Bank manager, Osadebe Osakwe as ‘frontiers.’

Checks by Sahara Reporters revealed that North China Construction Nigeria Limited was registered two years before the emergence of Okowa as a governor with Corporate Affairs Commission registration number, RC 1113315, and is being managed by Osadebe Osakwe, the former Zenith Bank manager who is also a strong ally of the Delta governor”.

This will be fully developed in my next statement on the affairs of the state, including your alleged vested interests in a newly established bank, Premium Trust Bank, which is now your government bank to the extent that the new loan you wanted to take from a consortium of banks, will be paid through Premium Trust Bank, the development which did not go down well with the banks and its allies. They therefore withdrew and pulled out from the deal. The Delta State government now approached the Delta State House of Assembly again for a fresh loan approval of #120B, and this time around, Premium Trust Bank will be the lead lender. What is unclear is that; is the #120B loan is in addition to previous #250B approved by the House or a fresh one?

Meanwhile, I have decided to concentrate on the misuse of about #250B 13% derivation fund which you collected from the Federal Government and corruptly misused by your Administration for the purpose of which the fund was made available for. At this juncture, I wish to reproduce for the public knowledge, what the constitution says about the use of the 13% derivation fund in section 162(2) of the Nigeria constitution, and no one has power, capacity or authority to tamper with the constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria except through amendment of the constitution by the National Assembly.
The Constitution states that;
“The President, upon the receipt of advice from the Revenue Mobilisation Allocation and Fiscal Commission, shall table before the National Assembly proposals for revenue allocation from the Federation Account, and in determining the formula, the National Assembly shall take into account, the allocation principles especially those of population, equality of States, internal revenue generation, land mass, terrain as well as population density;

Provided that the principle of derivation shall be constantly reflected in any approved formula as being not less than thirteen per cent of the revenue accruing to the Federation Account directly from any natural resources”.

The Delta State Oil Producing Areas Development Commission DESOPADEC was established in 2006 under James Ibori’s administration to manage 50% of the 13% derivation fund accruable to the State and its laws came into force on 1st day of August 2006. The Commission changed the socio-economic development of host communities within the mandate areas of the Commission.
The DESOPADEC law section 17 sub-section 1A part 5 (Funds and Accounts), the sources of funds of the commission shall be:-
Fifty percent (50%) of the thirteen percent (13%) oil derived fund or any other percentage approved accruing to the Delta State Government from the Federation account;
This law seeks to provide for an organised management and administrative structure for an effective use of the 50% or any increased percentage of the 13% oil derivation fund accruing to Delta State Government for the purpose of tackling the under development and ecological problems which arise from the exploration and exploitation of oil minerals in the oil and gas producing areas of Delta State. With the establishment of DESOPADEC, the management of the 13% derivation is now entirely in the hands of DESOPADEC as a Commission.
This clearly shows that the Governor of Delta State has no business for which he kept 50% of the 13% derivation for the use of the oil producing areas of the state.
I wish to refresh your memory on the official figure issued by the Federal Government of Nigeria on the buck payment approved by President Muhammadu Buhari, which your colleague of River State, Nyesom Wike publicly admitted to your annoyance. You have between now and may 29th 2023, to give your report to the people of Delta State as per how this huge amount of money was being spent by you to your people, otherwise, we will end up in the Law Court.
I hereby reproduce a report released by the National Bureau of Statistics;
Oil-producing states in Nigeria receive N448 billion in 2021 as 13% oil derivatives 
Delta State received the highest amount, with N141.93 billion.
Oil-producing states in Nigeria received a sum of N448.67 billion as part of their 13% oil derivatives for the year 2021, representing a 5.8% increase compared to N424 billion shared in the previous year.
This is according to analysis of data culled by Nairalytics, the research arm of Nairametrics from the monthly FAAC report, released by the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS).
According to the report, Delta State received the highest amount, with N141.93 billion, which accounts for 31.6% of the total amount shared in the period under review. On the flip side, Lagos State received the lowest in terms of oil derivatives, accounting for just 0.8% of the total amount disbursed.
A cursory look at the historical shows that despite the increase in 2021, the amount shared in the review year was way below the N552.5 billion and N536.3 billion shared in 2018 and 2019 respectively.
Breakdown 
Delta State received the lion’s share in the review year with N141.93 billion, representing an 8.7% increase compared to N130.57 billion received in the previous year.
Akwa Ibom followed with N91.16 billion, accounting for 20.3% of the total amount disbursed, while it represents a 3.9% decrease compared to N94.82 billion received in the preceding year.
Bayelsa State received a sum of N87.23 billion, which accounts for 19.4% of the total amount shared to the states. Bayelsa’s collection in the period increased by 7.8% in contrast to the N80.95 billion received in 2020.
Others on the list include Rivers State (N83.12 billion), Edo State (N15.48 billion), Ondo State (N11.5 billion), Imo State (N9.14 billion), Abia (N4.78 billion), Lagos State (N3.78 billion).
It is worth noting that Suko also received a sum of N548.05 million in the review period, being the first time, the Gombe State region is earning from oil derivatives. Recall that Gombe State signed a Memorandum of Understanding with Rift Oil and Petroleum Company in September 2021 for the exploration of petroleum products in the state.
Anambra State to join the list 
Anambra State is set to join the list of states who earns 13% oil derivatives with effect from March 2022, as part of its benefits as an oil-producing state. This was announced by the governor of the state, Willie Obiano while addressing members of the press after a tour of the Awka International Convention Centre and Anambra Cargo and passenger airport”.
If DESOPADEC budget for 2015 and 2016 amounted to #45,000,000,000 and #28,000,000,000 respectively; you kept to yourself #45,000,000,000 which represent 50% of the 13% derivation fund for that year, kept by you to be spent at will. In 2016, DESOPADEC budgeted #28,000,000,000 out of the 50% of 13% derivation fund issued by it, and you kept #28,000,000,000 for your discretional and corrupt use of the fund.
The total expenditure carried out by DESOPADEC in 2015 and 2016 are well documented whereas, there is no budget for the 50% derivation kept by you. Please, you hold it as a duty to make the figures available to the people of Delta State to counteract the falsehood.
I have decided to state the DESOPADEC budget of 2015 and 2016 to inform Delta state indigenes to know the expenditure and analysis of how Delta State Government misuse the 50% of the 13% derivation fund accrued to the state since 2015;
DESOPADEC 2015 AND 2016 BUDGET
Revenue
APPROVED 2015 BUDGET
%
APPROVED 2016 BUDGET
%
Capital Receipt of (50% of 13% Derivation Fund)

45,000,000,000

96.77419355

28,000,000,000

99.29
Internally Generated Revenue (IGR)

Total Revenue

1,500,000,000

46,500,000,000

3.225806452

100

200,000,000

28,200,000,000

0.71

100

The big question one may ask is that, why should the Governor of Delta State retain 50% of the 13% derivation fund? Was it President Olusegun Obasanjo, or the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria that gave the State authority to diversify the use of 13% derivation fund? It is noted that what the governor of Delta State did was part of his corrupt practice because, he want to keep the 50% as part of the security vote which is known only to themselves, and the Law establishing DESOPADEC is not supporting it. Whereas, there are some states in the Niger Delta that are not established the derivation fund as Delta State did.
It maybe necessary to quote extract from your reply through the Commissioner of Finance, the allegation and abuse of office made against your Government when he, (Chief Fidelis Tilije), trying to narrate how your administration spent the money. I hereby reproduce the Commissioner of Finance response to Governor of Rivers State, Nyesom Wike, on his outburst about 13% Derivation Fund;
“But the Delta State Commissioner for Finance, Chief Fidelis Tilije, said contrary to the revelation by Wike, Delta State only received N14.7 billion in three quarterly instalments of N4.9 billion each.
Speaking at a news conference in Asaba, Tilije said the state government had remained committed to transparency and accountability in all its financial dealings on behalf of the people.
Tilije, who was in company of the Commissioner for Special Projects, Chief Henry Sakpra and the Chief Press Secretary to the Governor, Mr. Olisa Ifeajika, said the total amount due to the state from the 13 per cent derivation arrears was N240 billion out of which the federal government agreed to pay in quarterly instalment for a period of five years.
Tilije also denied claims by former Edo State Governor, Adams Oshiomhole, that the state government received over N60 billion on refunds for federal roads projects executed by the state.
He said: “With the agreed amounts settled, some states like Rivers approached commercial banks and discounted theirs in full and collected, but Senator Ifeanyi Okowa said he would not want to leave the next administration with a huge debt burden.
“He resorted to discounting only N150 billion out of the N240 billion expected receivables, but later pruned it down to N100 billion.
“So far, we have gotten N14.7 billion in three quarterly instalments and we have also accessed N30 billion out of the N100 billion we applied for as bridging finance,” he explained.
The Commissioner stated that contrary to the impression given by Wike that previous administrations in the country refused to pay the money to the oil-producing states, the discovery of the outstanding funds was made by current commissioners for finance in the Niger Delta states”.
It is indeed very insulting and irresponsible for the most respected Commissioner of Finance, Chief Fidelis Tilije, to made some attempts to explain how the 13% derivation funds was spent. Perhaps, you may come to his aid in explaining to our people how our money has been spent.
NEPOTISM AND MANIPULATION OF DESOPADEC LAW
While asking the Governor to account for the money approved by President Muhammadu Buhari to the State Government, it maybe necessary to reply briefly to the disgraceful explanation being given by the Commissioner of Finance, as if they have power or authority to change the use of this funds as approved by the constitution and the law establishing DESOPADEC.
This view I have held since 2012 and therefore do not agree with the corrupt interpretation of the Delta State Government as to the use of the 13% derivation fund.
In his reply to the Governor of Rivers State, the Commissioner of Finance in Delta State listed a number of projects that the 13% derivation was spent on and these includes;
KWALE INDUSRTIAL PARK
Yes Kwale Industrial Park is situated in oil producing area of Delta State and therefore should come under the jurisdiction of DESOPADEC, but in this case, the Commissioner is giving the impression that Governor Okowa has the power or authority to vary the Constitution of Nigeria by altering the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. You should explain to the Delta people what has happened to Warri Industrial Park which your predecessor in office, Emmanuel Uduaghan started.
LEISURE AND FILM VILLAGE ASABA
It does not in anyway qualified under the scheme; this project is a money making project by attracting tourist to the state for the relaxation of those who can afford it and will not benefit the oil producing communities of Delta State and he should tell us how expensive project in Asaba affects the oil producing areas of Delta State. In fact, it is a wasteful project which will only benefit the elites. It is considered wicked and ridiculous for the State Government to spend such a huge sum of money gotten from the 13% derivation meant for oil producing communities on Leisure Park and Film Village in Asaba, a non oil producing community. That money could have been used to complete the Ayakoromo Bridge in an oil producing community.
KOKA INTERCHANGE FLYOVER ASABA,
This flyover has nothing to do with the scheme that should be the normal budgetary arrangement of Delta State, because Asaba is not oil producing area in Delta State, therefore does not qualify for it. Enerhen junction in Warri, an oil producing area in Delta State has been earmarked for a flyover before your Government and you are aware of it. The Koka Flyover recently built in Asaba is unlike the flyover built by Governor Wike of Rivers State, where you pass through Port Harcourt area covered by 1999 constitution as oil producing and which must benefit as stated in section 162(2).
UGHELLI-ASABA DUAL CARRIAGE WAY
This is a blatant lie calculated to deceive Delta people, because this road which is a Federal road started more than 12 years ago and has nothing to do with 13% derivation fund.
THREE STATE UNIVERSITIES
The inclusion of the three state Higher Institutions recently converted by the Delta State Government do not qualify under the scheme. There are other three Higher Institutions that qualifies for this conversion in Warri, Burutu and Agbor. You chose Agbor in order to carry out your secret agenda of establishing a University in your village in Owa-Alero. Today, no new building has been constructed in the old College of Education, Agbor. The new Osadebey University Asaba used to be part of Delta State University, while it is now singled out to be qualified for the 13% derivation, instead of using the monthly allocation and Internally Generated Revenue (IGR), accrued to the state. Why the old Delta State University Abraka which is oil producing is not qualified? Asaba is not qualified because they are not producing oil. Ozoro polytechnic which has recently been upgraded to University is qualified because they produce oil, but no new building has been erected since the conversion of the Institution. It was expected that the school of Marine Technology in Burutu which is of the same status with the College of Education, Agbor, and College of Education Warri would also be upgraded to University level even though; they produced oil in their area. We are therefore demanding that the Delta State Government should produce the record and amount of 13% fund spent on these projects, because failure will allow us to produce our records. In fact, all educational institutions, ranging from tertiary institutions in Delta State are provided for in the yearly budget of Delta State, and they have nothing to do with 13% derivation funds.
FIVE BILLION NAIRA TO ADDRESS ISSUES OF PAYMENT OF PENSION FOR BOTH THE STATE CIVIL SERVICE AND LOCAL GOVERNMENT WORKERS
Is it not fraudulent by the Delta State Commissioner of Finance, who stated that five billion naira from the 13% derivation is used for payment of pensioners for both state and local government workers? We are therefore requesting the Governor of Delta State, Dr Ifeanyi Okowa, how much have been spent on the various projects above and what part of 13% derivation has been spent on them?
I have also read with amusement, the fraudulent claim by your aides, the Commissioner for Information, Mr. Charles Aniagu and the Chief Press Secretary, Mr. Olisa Ifeajika, while appreciating the construction of roads in Ogulagha and Gbaramatu. One may ask, where did these roads lead to? About twenty years ago, your predecessor or mentor, Chief James Ibori, awarded contracts for the construction of roads from Okerenkoko, off to Pepe-Ama and to Kokodiagbene. The contract was awarded to Wokson Engineering Company, and Bar. Bosin Ebikeme was appointed the Project Director by Governor James Ibori’s administration. While in 2011, NDDC also awarded a contract for the construction of roads from Kunukunuma to Ubefan, and Ubefan to Kurutie, where Maritime University was located, and then to Oporoza, and from Oporoza to Madangho, and Madangho to Ogidigben, which will enable the inter land dwellers to drive easily to Warri, Lagos and to other places. The contractor mobilized to the site, but unfortunately, all the road projects which were started at the time were later abandoned. Your Deputy Governor, Kingsley Otuaro, is from Okerenkoko town where you built some roads, and you may wish to tell the public, how much of the 13% derivation fund you have spent in these areas, compared to the quantity of oil produced in the area, and also you may wish to tell the public how much of the derivation fund you have spent in your village, Owa-Alero, where you are building the University Campus. You may even tell us what make the College of Education Agbor, to be more qualified to be upgraded to a University than school of Marine Technology, Burutu. But, because of your nepotism and narrow mindedness, you chose the College of Education Agbor in order to accomplish your secret agenda of building a University main Campus in your village, Owa-Alero.
For instance, while Asaba Capital Development Agency (ACDA), which is being managed by Mrs. Joan Mrakpor, is well funded from time to time under your Legacy Project Program, Warri and Uvwie Development Agencies, which is being managed by Chief Ovuozorie Macaulay, received little or nothing from the same government.
According to Most Rev. Hyacinth Egbebo, the Catholic Bishop of Bomadi Diocese in an interview in Vanguard Newspapers of 24th July 2022 he pointed out areas you have neglected the Ijaw people in Bomadi, Burutu and Patani LGAs, even though they produced large quantity of oil and gas. I reproduce hereunder part of his statement during the interview:
“The main grouse that has triggered this interview with you is my desire to identify and condemn the pointed hateful exclusion of the riverine Bomadi, Burutu and Patani Local Government Areas from the development scheme of the government of Delta State. The recent highly publicized borrowing of N150billion for development projects in Delta State did not feature any project here. Again, there’s also the rumor of another engagement to borrow N25billion”.
“It is noteworthy that the government has not done any sensible project for us. When the governor came to us in Bomadi for a town hall meeting some years ago, he informed us that he didn’t have sufficient funds to build the polytechnic at Bomadi and the Ayakoromos Bridge that had been started by his predecessor, and we believed him. It’s now clear that all he told us was a bold lie, but when he was talking to us it seemed like he was honest. Yet, in poverty the governor was able to raise three polytechnics to university status elsewhere in the state, it is to be noted that Governor Emmanuel Uduaghan, former Governor of Delta State and your predecessors in office awarded the contract for the construction of the Polytechnic in Bomadi town and work started to the window level, hence, you have impunity to subjugate our people as if we are second class citizens and now use our money to build a University in your village, which is not covered by the 13% derivation fund. I know my people working with you will be the first to attack and criticize me for speaking the truth. Who is fooling who? Does the governor know that Delta State is ascribed as oil-producing majorly because of us? Yet, he borrows hugely to preferentially build his highways with the intention of using our oil money to pay the debt”. I will comment on this vision statement later.
At this juncture, it may be necessary to refresh your memory of your problem with the New Delta Avengers when they accused you of the misuse of the 13% derivation funds. The exchanges which I summarize hereunder;
Both the Managing Director of DESOPADEC at the time Engr. Makinde and Favour Izuokumor visited me in Abuja to appeal to you to make money available for their staffs and contractors who were being threatened by their banks and as a result I contacted you, when you were on leave and I hereby reproduce the text message I sent to you dated 24th June 2017;
“Your Excellency, regret my inability to reach you since our last discussion on DESOPADEC. While wishing you a happy and fruitful vacation, I pray you make some allocation available for DESOPADEC to pay their contractors and meet some overhead costs to avert any eminent crisis having regard to my appeal to the unidentified youths that will attract the Federal Government reaction. Safe journey and God bless. E.K.Clark”.
Later on, 29 and 15 DESOPADEC workers came to me on separate occasion on the same matter.
It is also necessary here to mention that on 10th June 2017 in a Vanguard publication, the New Delta Avengers accused you of gross marginalization, milking and starving DESOPADEC to death and at the same time a monumental failure.
On 20th of June 2017, I, Chief Edwin Clark leader of Pan-Niger Delta Forum (PANDEF) released a statement in a Vanguard publication in which I pleaded with members of the New Delta Avengers to withdraw the ultimatum of June 30th, issued to Acting President Prof. Yemi Osinbajo, to compel you to tell the world how much was due to the Delta State Oil Producing Communities Development Commission (DESOPADEC) from the 13% derivation.
Again on 29th June 2017, the New Delta Avengers responded positively to my appeal for them to withdraw the ultimatum and they temporarily suspended hostilities.
For record purposes, as far back as 2012, I condemned the Governors who do not in most cases spend this money for the benefit of the oil producing areas for which it was approved for at the time when Uduaghan was the Governor. He has a female friend Miss Mowarien as the Manager of a Commercial Bank in Efunrun Warri, where 13% derivation money was being paid to by the Delta State Government and Uduaghan cleverly appointed his kinsman Kpogho Oritsuwa as the accountant of DESOPADEC where only three of them, the Governor, the Bank Manager and the Accountant manipulated the fund. Kpogho Oritsuwa in 2008 was the Head of Finance during Chief Wellington Okrika’s tenure as the Executive Chairman of DESOPADEC, and he later became the Executive Chairman of DESOPADEC after Chief Wellington Okrika’s tenure in 2010.
In your usual parochial, nepotic attitude and character, you amended the constitution of DESOPADEC in order to bring in more oil producing communities in Delta State including your Local Government Area, Ika, to expand the number of members in the Commission to other areas of the State that are not producing oil.
“Section 2 of the Principal Law was amended by inserting “Ika” after the word Isoko in the interpretation of the ethnic nationalities”.
And according to Delta State Gazette, “Ethnic nationalities mean the Ijaws, Itsekiris, Urhobos, Isokos and Ndokwas from Delta State.
By your own interpretation or definition of the ethnic nationalities, you decided to include Ika, which is your ethnic nationality, whereas, there are more ethnic nationalities in Delta north and not Ika alone. Other ethnic nationalities in Delta north are; Oshimili north and south, Aniocha north and south.
It may be too late, but finally, I wish to again advice you not to reduce Warri to a deserted village as Chief Onanefe Ibori did to Sapele, as he removed most of the offices from Sapele to Oghara his hometown. This is exactly what you are carrying-out now.
I can see you smiling to Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, when you said that Owa-Alero was your humble small village that it is now a big town. The question is, with whose money?

CHIEF (DR.) E.K. CLARK OFR, CON

THE Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has admonished political leaders to desist from using their comments to stoke discord between the North and South of the country ahead of the general elections.

In a response to the called by elder statesman, Chief Edwin K. Clark, on Delta State Governor and the party’s vice presidential candidate in the election, Dr. Ifeanyi Okowa, to step down for allegedly betraying the South, a spokesman of the PDP Presidential Campaign Council, Mr. Charles Aniagwu, at a news conference yesterday, in Asaba, stated that the party’s presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar, and Okowa were prepared to keep to the terms of the peace accord midwifed by notable Nigerians, including a former head of state, Gen. Gen. Abdulsalami Abubakar, and Bishop of the Sokoto Diocese of the Catholic Church, Dr. Hassan Kukah, and other members of the National Peace Accord Committee.

Aniagwu, while stressing that the promotion of peace was necessary to achieve the much-needed development in the country, urged Clark not to mortgage the unity of Nigeria at the expense of his preferences, saying Nigeria’s unity was paramount to its continued existence.

He noted that the PDP would continue to accord enormous respect to persons in the category of Clark, saying in the midst of that, “we will also advise that, in line with the need to promote unity and the peace of this country, elders must make comments that are in line with our desire to remain as one country.

“As an administration here in Delta and as a political party, the PDP, our presidential campaign council has enormous respect for Clark on many grounds as an elder statesman, as somebody who has played very wonderful roles in our country as a former minister, and as a Nigerian allowed by the constitution to have an opinion on issues we will continue to give to him.

“It might be pardonable for the young ones to talk about the North and South dichotomy, but Clark has been around even before the civil war and he knows the geographic composition of Nigeria with brothers and sisters criss-crossing the North and the South.

“By tradition, not by law, the choice of a running-mate has always cut across the other zones different from that of the presidential candidate. In this regard, delegates of the PDP overwhelmingly elected Atiku. In fulfillment of the constitutional provisions, and after wide consultations, saw that Okowa would be able to add value to his quest to lead Nigeria out of the woods and have a much more united country.’’

Aniagwu reminded Clark that when former President Goodluck Jonathan sought re-election in 2015, to the consternation of the North, his running-mate, Namadi Sambo, was not embarrassed by the North for supporting a southerner, adding: “So, for our elder statesman to cast aspersions on Okowa and label him a betrayer cannot be in the interest of nationalism. If someone must be patriotic, as Clark has shown over time, his recent comments do not suggest the way for our continued unity.

“We also know that Clark has made his choice in this election. First, he took sides with Governor Nyesom Wike of Rivers State, even when the last President of the PDP (Goodluck Jonathan) was from the old Rivers State (now Rivers and Bayelsa).

“If we are talking about equity and justice, could it have been fair that the power coming back to the South would have still come to the same (old) state, even when we have 17 states in the south? Are we looking for a regional president or one who would govern the entire country?

“Elders and everybody must try as much as possible to bury their sentiments under the need for us to be nationalistic. We need a united country that can survive beyond the election and build for us to call home even beyond the elections. So, any comment that fuels such division cannot be in the interest of current and coming generations.”

Aniagwu, who also the Delta State Commissioner for Information, wondered how Clark could have downgraded the state government, whom he had scored high in the past, just because his candidate is not popular in the state.

“We advise our elder statesman, whom we respect very well, not to allow the politics of sentiments to injure his prominent position. As an elder statesman, the integrity and sanctity of our constitution are fundamental. The unity of this country should be paramount.

‘’Therefore, those that should know, in the categories of Clark, cannot, because of the sentiments and conveniences of today, push an agenda that is inimical to the unity paramount for us to move as one country,’’ he said.