A group, the Itsekiri Leaders of Thought (ILOT) in Delta State, has begun the verification of projects said to have been executed by the State Oil Producing Areas Development Commission (DESOPADEC).
The projects are located in Itsekiri communities, comprising Warri North, Warri South and Warri Southwest local government areas.
DESOPADEC claimed it executed projects worth N150 billion in the last five to six years in Itsekiri, Ijaw, Isoko, Urhobo and Ndokwa nations as well as other parts of the state.
The verification followed the setting up of a committee, headed by Mr Sunny Amorighoye Mene, with Prof J. N. Omatseye, Joseph Edema-Silo and Mr Ray Mene, as members, to examine the execution of projects valued at N35 billion in Itsekiri land.
The committee has visited Ugborodo; it was at Ode-Itsekiri at the time of filing this report yesterday.
ILOT’s Chairman J. O. S. Ayomike urged our correspondent to contact Mene for further enquiry.
But speaking with our correspondent, Mene said: “The Itsekiri Leaders of Thought needs to know how the funds are being expended, because we were at the forefront of agitation for the 13 per cent derivation fund.
“We aim to find out if the projects, which have been carried out, are what the communities need. Also, the ones executed and completed: do they meet expectation? Have the projects been done and at what cost? Do the projects justify the cost? These are some of the issues.”
On the committee’s findings so far, Mene said: “It is too early to tell you what we have found. But the investigation is ongoing.”
Our correspondent’s independent investigation revealed that the verification could be a precursor to a wider probe by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), targeting some representatives on the DESOPADEC board over the years.
A summary of DESOPADEC’s expenditure obtained by our correspondent showed that of the N35.47 billion, there was a N21,651,130,858.24 cumulative payment while N1,463,855,654.55 had not been settled from the cumulative certificate of N23,114,986,512.79.
An Itsekiri leader, who spoke in confidence, said: “We are unimpressed by the figures bandied about, because we feel that what is on ground far under-weighs the huge sums of money.
“For instance, the office of the ‘Honourable Commissioner’ received N1 billion for the development of the ‘New Ugborodo Town’. Although the project was listed as 100 per cent completed, Ugborodo residents say there is nothing on ground.
“From my layman assessment, what is at the site is barely N50 million. There are just a few building foundations and they are far less than the 200 housing units envisaged.
“This is the situation in other communities. We are worried about how so much money was expended in our communities without much on ground to show for it.”
The projects examined in Ugborodo communities included the N1 billion new town; a primary health centre at Madangho, at the cost of N59.436 million; Ajudaibo Primary School’s fence, at the cost of N23.938 million and the building of the reinforced concrete landing jetty at Arunton Ugborodo, for N68.433 million.
The contracts were listed as 100 per cent completed in DESOPADEC’s books.
Others are: the building of a concrete landing jetty at Obodo community, at the cost of N184.161 million;
a project for the ‘Fencing, Landscaping of 13 per cent Derivation Housing Estate’ at Ogidigben at the cost of N213.408 million; it was recorded as attaining 87 per cent completion. The construction of staff quarters in the same community, at the cost of N40.419 million, was recorded to have reached 57 per cent completion.
At Ajudaibo, the contract for building a six-classroom block at Akpakpa, at the cost of N45.749 million, was recorded to be at 89 per cent completion while the construction of a Welding and Fabrication workshop at Ogidigben, at N74.169 million, was put at 60 per cent completion.
A N25 million contract for the installation of a cold room at Ugborodo was said to be 100 per cent completed with the N40 million furnishing and equipping of Ogidigben Cottage Hospital.
A source close to the committee told our correspondent that even the maiden assessment visit revealed so much.
The source said: “What we have seen is indeed mind-blowing. We are not going to say much at this stage because we are just starting. But the Itsekiri Leaders of Thought is not treating this matter with levity; that’s because this involves the collective funds for the nation. It is the commonwealth of the Itsekiri man, woman and child. Anybody found to have stolen from the people will be brought to book.”
The source added: “Some of the contracts were merely completed on paper; others are nowhere near the level of completion for which contractors have received payments. We (ILOT) could not do much under the past administrations because of the level of impunity. But we are poised to seek accountability, not just for new contracts but also for those they have ‘done’.”