Ndokwa Elite Accuse Uduaghan Of Financial Recklessness, Petition Jonathan

Governor Emmanuel Uduaghan

By SaharaReporters, New York

Ndokwa Youth Elites Forum (NYEF), a pressure group in Delta State, has accused the state governor, Emmanuel Uduaghan, of financial recklessness.
The group is the latest of numerous organizations in the state to express displeasure over what they describe as the governor’s fraudulent handling of the 13% derivation fund that accrues to Delta as an oil-producing state. In a petition addressed to President Goodluck Jonathan, the NYEF demanded that Mr. Uduaghan be called to order.
Titled “Urgent Need for Direct Payment of 13% Derivation Fund to DESOPADEC,” the petition was signed on the group’s behalf by its chairman, Ossai Chukwudi, and its public relations officer, Fidelis Okafor. SaharaReporters obtained a copy of the petition which described Mr. Uduaghan’s handling of the fund as disheartening.
“It is very sad and disheartening that in spite of the fact that Delta State Government in 2010 collected a whooping sum of N120.6 billion as 13% derivation fund and N178.8 billion in 2011 as 13% derivation fund, the total money collected for the two years is N304 billion and the 50% share of DESOPADEC [Delta State Oil Producing Areas Development Commission] ought to be N152 billion but there is nothing on ground to show that such money was ever given to DESOPADEC,” said the petitioners.
The NYE continued: “We the entire peace loving executives and members of the Ndokwa Youth Elites Forum wish to respectfully draw your attention to the helpless and continuous non-payment of completed DESOPADEC jobs in the past three years and when payments are made contractors with full certificates are made to collect only 20% or 30% of the contract sum while the contractors are abandoned to battle with banks over loans secured to do such jobs in the past three years.”
The NYEF questioned whether the 13% funds were actually paid to DESOPADEC. It also wondered why DESOPADEC had failed to pay contractors fully for jobs executed and commissioned by the governor.
The Ndokwa Youth Elite Forum stated that the once performing Delta State Oil Producing Areas Development Commission (DESOPADEC) had been turned into a sleeping lion due to lack of adequate funding. NYEF recalled that the commission, by law, was supposed to receive 50% of the derivation fund due Delta State for its operation.
“We reject in totality the 2012 budget of DESOPADEC as the State Governor in conjunction with members of the Delta State House of Assembly, against laid down procedures of communities, chosen the projects of their choice based on production quantum have suddenly turned DESOPADEC into their personal affairs now deciding projects allocations without input from the host communities who are the end beneficiaries,” the petitioners wrote.
The NYEF’s petition further stated: “In view of section 162(2) of the 1999 constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 13% percent derivation is the first charge on the federation account and therefore cannot be allocated to any state government which is the third charge on the same federation account.  It is therefore unconstitutional to allocate 13% derivation fund through a third party thus, the legal, just and proper thing to do is to allocate 13% derivation fund due to the oil producing communities in Delta State to ethnic groups trust fund.”
The forum appealed to President Jonathan to direct the Revenue Mobilization, Allocation and Fiscal Commission to henceforth allocate 13% derivation funds due the Ndokwa people directly to the Ndokwa Host Communities Trust Fund. They warned that this would be the only way to avert a serious crisis now brewing in the area.
Recently, some former members of Delta State House of Assembly called on Governor Uduaghan to account for over N380 billion that the state received from federal government allocations. The former legislators spoke as members of Mass Movement for Change (MMC). The group is led by George Oyefia.