Mr Efeturi Lawrence Diveramredje, an APC Chieftain in Isoko North Local Government of Delta State, has urged Governor Ifeanyi Okowa of Delta State, to stop diverting the fund meant for Delta State Oil Producing Areas Development Commission (DESOPADEC).

He said that Deltans were aware that the Commission was supposed to receive 50% of the 13% derivation funds accrued to the State from the Federal Account Allocation Commission (FAAC).

Mr Diveramredje, speaking in Ozoro, Delta State, said that Governor Ifeanyi Okowa had diverted over N50 billion that was due to DESOPADEC.

“Sine Okowa became Governor in 2015, DESOPADEC has been operating like a ‘caged animal’. In fact, Okowa is operating like a hunter that is bent on killing DESOPADEC,” he said.

“Okowa is violating DESOPADEC law of 2015, which stipulates that the Commission has exclusive rights to 50% of 13% Oil Derivation Funds for the rehabilitation and development of the oil-bearing areas in the State.

“In June, 2017, a major part of almost N4.5 billion that ought to accrue to the Agency was again misappropriated.

Okowa released just N1.65 billion to DESOPADEC. Okowa has been deceitfully paying some of his political cronies hundreds of millions of Naira monthly since 2015 from the DESOPADEC allocation under the pretext of funding waterways security.

While we agree that security is important, we imagine that most of the money goes into private pockets,” the Chieftain said.