By: EMMA ARUBI, Warri
The National Coordinator of the Centre for Peace and Environmental Justice (CEPEJ), Comrade Sheriff Mulade has demanded to know what projects and how the humonguous debt by the Delta State Government was spent.
Comrde Mulade, a renowned Niger Delta activist and social crusader, said this huge debt was incurred by the immediate past Governor, Ifeayin Okowa, when Oborevwori was the Speaker of the Delta State House of Assembly and therefore, is in a better position to give account of this inherited debt profile.
He urged the governor to provide evidence of the projects funded by these loans, emphasizing that the funds were approved during his tenure.
Speaking recently in Warri, where he was decorated as Patron of the Indigenous Correspondent’s Chapel, Mulade expressed skepticism over the state government’s claim of having repaid N130 billion of the debt, even as he questioned the transparency of such transactions, observing that he played a pivotal role in approving these funds which were supposedly allocated to specific projects.
Sheriff Mulade noted further that as, “loans approved under Oborevwori’s watch, he should be able to explain what these funds were used for and why we are still repaying them till date and revealed that the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has been alerted to investigate if the Delta State House of Assembly, under the leadership of Rt. Hon. Emomotimi Guwor, fails to fulfill its oversight duties.
The Gbaramatu born maverick and
United Nations Global Peace Ambassador emphasized that the people of Delta State deserve to know how these funds were spent, especially since the state had to borrow an additional N40 billion shortly after Governor Oborevwori assumed office.
While asserting that his call for accountability and transparency has nothing to do with politics, he noted that, “We are not seeking political appointments. It is our right to question the government. We will not compromise our conscience for political favors, he stressed.
According to Mulade, apart from this debt debacle another very vex issue is the over N1.2 trillion in 13 percent oil derivation funds paid to Delta State during Okowa’s administration from which the Delta State Oil Producing Areas Development Commission (DESOPADEC) is entitled to N600 billion yet the commission has not received the money, warning that “DESOPADEC should not be starved of funds. The commission was established for the benefit of the people and that purpose must be fulfilled.
“If the Delta State House of Assembly fails in their oversight functions, we will not hesitate to invite the EFCC or ICPC to ensure these funds are used for the benefit of Deltans. These resources belong to the people and not meant for individual pockets,” Mulade asserted.
