Organized Criticisms Of DESOPADEC Management: Setting The Records Straight

CAMPAIGN FOR GOOD GOVERNANCE, a Non- governmental organization which is committed to good governance, rule of law, citizen participation in governance , citizen education and a mirror of community engagement with government has been worried about the increasing attack on the interventionist agency , DESOPADEC in recent times.

CGG will be failing in its duty if it does not halt this growing propaganda which is orchestrated by enemies within, who are bent on destroying the institution which has become the pride of the oil bearing communities in Delta State.

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DESOPADEC is the product of an act. The act, which previously had an Executive Chairman of DESOPADEC was amended in 2015 through a bill which was tagged” a bill to amend the Delta State oil producing areas Development Commission Law 2006 and for other matters therewith”

The amended act created the following management structure:
(I) the Chairman
((2) the Managing Director
(3)three(3) Executive Directors
(4)Nine (9) representatives of the oil producing Ethnic Nationalities in the State
(5)two (2) ex- officio members namely :
(a) representative of the Ministry of Finance and
(b)representative of the Ministry of economic planning .
The 2015 amendment to the DESOPADEC act was to check abuse of Executive power and to reposition the commission for better service delivery to the oil bearing communities under its mandate.

The sacred mandate of the present management of DESOPADEC is strictly tied to the M.O.R.E agenda of the Oborevwori administration which prioritizes fiscal discipline, organized and effective development and zero tolerance for corruption.

The present DESOPADEC leadership has thus structured its development models to cover different sectors of the economy: health, education, entrepreneurship, shoreline protection, citizen empowerment, road infrastructure, jetties and a wide range of other sectors. In just two years , DESOPADEC has delivered 60 roads and jetties . The commission has built health centres at Egbokodo, Ode Itsekiri, Ugbori and Orugbo and expanded the health centre at Utagba- Unor. It has built a maternity ward at Koko General hospital. It has constructed over 50 residential houses in various communities including Ajansan, Oboghoro, Koko, Tuomo and Ogheye – Egboroke. The Commission, through the DESOPADEC Skill Academy has empowered youths with starter packs and grants. Young entrepreneurs have received grants of about N500,000 with women receiving grants of N100,000, besides equipping them with generators, laptops and tailoring equipment. The current DESOPADEC management has also completed about 55 institutions and renovated educational facilities at Iwere college, Azama Zion Primary School and Beach Secondary School.The Commission has intervened in electricity, water and solar street lights as well as distributing transformers to communities in its area of responsibility.

This DESOPADEC team has in place a monitoring team that assesses the work of contractors, making sure there is an end to the era of projects abandonment and shoddy jobs. This approach to jobs execution management is in line with Sheriff Oborevwori’s zero tolerance for shoddy jobs which do not meet with standard specifications.

The House of Assembly carries out periodic oversight functions on DESOPADEC to ensure its operations are aligned with the act setting it up.
It is in the light of the above that CAMPAIGN FOR GOOD GOVERNANCE is forced to address the activities of some bloggers and hired media agents who are engaged in a coordinated effort to undermine the credibility and competence of the Managing Director and his management team. We are aware that since assuming office , the current management team of DESOPADEC have demonstrated a deep commitment to inclusive development,transparency, and sustainable impact in oil producing communities. Under the present Management, DESOPADEC has witnessed:
-Strategic infrastructure projects that directly benefit host communities
– Enhanced stakeholder engagement and participatory governance
– ⁠Improved project delivery timelines and accountability mechanisms.
The ongoing smear campaigns appear less about truth and more about personal or political vendetta. Criticism is a healthy part of governance- but when it becomes baseless, sensationalized or driven by interests outside the well- being of our communities it must be called what it is: sabotage.

DESOPADEC operates in a complex environment- dealing with community expectations, bureaucratic processes and sometimes resource constraints.However , the Commission draws its moral strength from the Oborevwori administration which is a government anchored on the principles of probity , accountability and good governance. As the common parlance has it, once you begin to fight corruption, corruption will also fight back. This time the war of attrition seems to be emanating from some few hirelings and some hired media practitioners who are bent on bringing the name of the Managing Director of DESOPADEC ‘ Chief Festus Ochonogor to odium. It appears that the main grouse of the propagandists is that the Managing Director is an Ndokwa man and they are bent on bringing him down for political reasons . By every stretch , the Managing Director of DESOPADEC , Chief Festus Ochonogor has had an enviable track record in the politics and governance of Delta State. He was once the organizing Secretary of the state PDP, the Senior Political Adviser to the Governor of Delta State, the Hon Commissioner for Housing before he was appointed the MD of DESOPADEC. In all these strategic positions he had held in government, he was never found wanting or charged for corruption. He had discharged his duties admirably to the satisfaction of successive state governors and honouring him with the position of MD DESOPADEC is a testament to his commitment to assist in the development of the state.

In the same vein, the Chairman of DESOPADEC, Hon. Barr. John Nani was an Executive Director, Finance and Administration ( EDFA) before his present appointment. He was also a former Commissioner for Environment.He holds a highest Service award from the Idjerhe Monarch who commended him for being an excellent achiever. John Nani is a thorough bred administrator and he brings his wealth of experience into his position as chairman.

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CAMPAIGN FOR GOOD GOVERNANCE also sees these attacks against the DESOPADEC management as being connected to the Politics of 2027. The present DESOPADEC leadership has been in place for two years plus. Why are these sporadic attacks coming now? Who are those interested in bringing down the government of Sheriff Oborevwori? Are they disappointed that the Oborevwori administration has performed beyond their expectations? These agents of destabilization have their eyes on 2027 and would do anything to pursue an inordinate ambition

HOSTCOM has never displayed any hostility towards DESOPADEC but has instead praised the commission for being proactive in its operations. This type of hostility that some hack writers are showing towards DESOPADEC is unnecessary and they should retraced their steps .

It is not the business of CAMPAIGN FOR GOOD GOVERNANCE to begin to enumerate the different projects that the current Management of the Commission have embarked upon in their two years in the saddle . What we are convinced about is that the Commission has not veered off its mandate and we would be honest enough to pass a vote of confidence on the management for living up to its billing so far.

CAMPAIGN FOR GOOD GOVERNANCE calls on all those writers trying to heat up the polity with their poorly researched and ill- conceived motives to desist from acts capable of distracting the DESOPADEC management from their good works. The Governor of Delta State , noted for his financial prudence and integrity cannot superintend over a non performing Commission. He would be the first to berate the Commission if they are found wanting in their duties. Besides, the Governor is an Urhobo , an ethnic Nationality that produces a large quantity of oil and gas. Would a Governor supervise the annihilation of an interventionist Agency that he strove to fortify when he was Speaker of the Delta State House of Assembly? We as Deltans need to be careful not to shoot ourselves in the foot by engaging in publications that are not founded on truths. Works of hearsay and propaganda will never yield any positive results. They only tear and wear our collective energies as a people.
FOR : CAMPAIGN FOR GOOD GOVERNANCE

PRINCE OBARO UNUAFE
National Coordinator