Fuel Subsidy Removal: DTSG Must Think Outside The Box —Rights Activist

…Wants Oborevwori To Revive Delta Mass Transit Scheme

By Daniel Dafe

Popular rights activist in Delta State, Comr.(Amb). Derrick Oritsematosan Agberen, has called on the state government to start thinking outside the box amidst the fuel subsidy removal/increase in fuel price that has hugely affected the economy and standard of living, saying ways of how to manage her resources/revenues generated judiciously for the welfare of the people is a necessity.

Agberen who said this in a.statememt on Monday night, added that “the Delta State Urban Mass Transit scheme initiated by the then Governor of Delta State, Dr. Emmanuel Eweta Uduaghan CON, subsidized by 50% by the Uduaghan administration, completely reduced the cost of transportation and also touched the lives of the people in the various communities in the state.”

He continued: “The Okowa’s administration for reasons best known, did not continue the Urban Mass Transit project and in the eyes of the people, the vehicles were seen in different dumped areas, forgetting that governance is a continuous project.”

He said that majority of the buses were air-conditioned with Marco polo buses inclusive.”

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According to him, “the Governor, His Excellency, Rt Hon. Sheriff Oborevwori’s administration should see the current hardship as enough reason to revive the mass transit project because of its roles and the impacts transportation has on the people.”

His statement said further: “The DESOPADEC commission since its establishment has not meaningfully proposed projects and ensured that such projects are sustained, standing the test of time and adding value to the lives of the people across different ethnicity in the State, but DESOPADEC has rather been an avenue to loot public funds meant for the oil and gas producing communities, by the different commissioners and boards of the DESOPADEC.”

“The DESOPADEC Bursary scheme for Delta State students studying in tertiary institutions across Nigeria, has been long unpaid. Rather than paying the bursary, members on the board/commission, at the helm of affairs over the years, use the money for their personal gains. Going by the recent increments in school fees/cost of education; it has made education so expensive. Hence, the Governor, Rt. Hon Sheriff Oborevwori’s led admission should influence(revitalize)/bring back the bursary’s scheme, so as to assist Nigerian undergraduate students from the Oil Producing Areas in Delta State. As one of the purposes of the Delta State Oil Producing Areas Development Commission(DESOPADEC), the commission was to provide skill acquisitions programmes and self employment in oil host communities in Delta State for indigenes but it has gradually drifted from its purpose. It would have helped to provide skills for youths in these areas, therefore, reducing crime, insecurities in the State, as so many youths will be occupied and gainfully self employed.

“The Delta State Oil Producing Area Development Commission(DESOPADEC), as an agency was created by the enabling Act in Delta state, to secure 50% of the 13% Oil Derivation Fund accruing to Delta State Government and the received sum used for rehabilitation and development of oil-producing areas of the state as well as carry out other developmental projects as may be determined from time to time but in the recent times, it became an avenue to loot and embezzle public funds by members in the board.
Constituents should hold the commissioners representing their constituency at the DESOPADEC, accountable for poor representation with the resources entrusted to them to develop the area. Commissioners should be able to establish projects/empowerment schemes that will elevate the people. The constituents should request for constituency meetings at their(Commissioner’s) offices and not the private consultations usually done in the private homes of leaders, hotel and other private facility; hence, the people don’t have access to their leaders. It should not be politics as it used to be, as it has made the people retrogressed.

“The health sector has suffered huge setbacks in recent years. A lot of the Delta State Government hospitals lacks adequate staffs(Doctors and Nurses) which has greatly affected the services in the hospitals. The laboratory’s aren’t equipped enough, no standby electricity and most structures are dilapidated. The medicines in the pharmacy’s could be given to patients at a reduced price irrespective of age difference. Though the Okowa’s administration gave out free medicines to ages 0-5years and of which Rt. Hon. Sheriff Oborevwori’s administration can do more better.

“The Government of Delta State have actually tried through successful administrations to improve the qualities of education in the State but a lot still need to be done so as to sharpen/equip students with necessary learning aids, skills to develop a healthy mind on the students through proper and adequate learning. Delta State has maintained her free quality basic education policy. This policy however, was further spread to cover the post-primary education level, and also, covers the government paying for external examinations like WAEC. This policy can also be extended to the State universities, in other to give equal access to all students, having access to education; as education remains the only viable key that is capable of unlocking the doors of civilization. Thus, the quest to achieving quality education through the Delta State Government is a lopsided adventure. The reasons lie in the fact that the teacher factor is one of the key drivers of quality education. If there are shortage of qualified teaching staffs in schools or the few one are passing a half baked knowledge to the students, wrong qualification or job placement outside their areas of specialization coupled with poor working conditions of teachers, all these factors can mar the realization of quality education. Also, most schools in Delta State have no quality libraries, laboratories and other essential educational facilities in order to instil the reading culture in school children,” he said.

Continuing, he said that “the government of Delta State needs to actually disburse some school facilities and infrastructures as well as manpower in order to enhance the day to day effective and efficient teaching and learning in public schools in Delta State. It will help to encourage learning amongst students and make them fit for the society.

“The Delta State Government should shift attention from oil and gas, focusing more on agriculture in these challenging times, were commodities in the market are very expensive. Agriculture was the first occupation of man from creation and remains the most vital for man’s continuous survival and well- being. As a means to cut costs for the masses; the State Government produce Cassava into Garri, PalmOil, Noodles and other foods, sell to the people at reduced prices(50%), as medium to regulate prices of commodities in the market. Any economy that is self-sustaining in agriculture are known to have relatively lower inflation rates. It, therefore, goes without saying that any nation that is serious about self-reliance and sustainable development must pay very serious attention to its agricultural sector. Delta State have favourable natural environment, which allows for year-round farming and one of the things that makes the Delta distinctive is its fertile soil that can grow most consumable farm produce sold at the market. As a State, we had run governments for over 24years but has paid little or no attention to essentials of agriculture and the impacts it has on the people. The State Government can establish key major industries in agriculture, at strategic locations across the state, as the state has substantial oil palm, yam, and cassava crops. These would help in the regulation of prices of the same commodities in the market, to a cheaper price, stipulated by the State Government.

“As a State, we have all it takes to run a successive government that will benefit the people rather than that of the few in politics. With the recent FAAC shared to State Government as allocation, Data sourced from 43 monthly reports of the Federation Accounts Allocation Committee, as released by the National Bureau of Statistics indicated that Delta State got the lion share of about N843.8bn, Akwa Ibom received about N643.2bn, while Rivers got about N642bn. It is a pity, that as a oil-producing State, Delta State had failed to develop her areas with the trillions of naira received as allocations from FAAC every year with the kind of development in State; as it does not commensurate with the allocations received by the Governments. If the Kwara State Government, that got the least has released free buses and other palliative measures to cushion the effects of removal of fuel subsidy, Delta State should do more for indigents.”

He thus called the attention of the Delta State Governor, Rt. Hon. Sheriff Oborevwori, to critically look into the issues and needs the people are faced with, to ensure that the people are able to enjoy the benefits derived from oil production in the State.

Meanwhile, he said that, “also, civil society’s and other anti-corruption groups should start scrutinising the financial expenditures of the Delta State Government, to ensure that it is used judiciously.”