By Moses Patience Chat
The Association of Oil and Gas Communities (AOGC) in Delta State has urged the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) in Abuja to investigate the Former Delta Governor, Ifeanyi Okowa, over an alleged diversion of N1.07 trillion from the 13 percent oil derivation fund.
AOGC consists of representatives from Ijaw, Itsekiri, Urhobo, Isoko, and Ndokwa ethnic groups, which also frowned at the non-full remittance of 50 percent legally prescribed allocation to Delta State Oil Producing Areas Development Commission (DESOPADEC) during Okowa’s Administration from 2015 to 2023.
While addressing journalists after submitting the Association’s petition to EFCC on Thursday, a representative of Ijaw ethnic nationality, Chief Mulade Sheriff, called on the anti-graft agency to leave no stone unturned in ensuring the alleged diverted money is fully recovered.
According to the Association, from the records available to us upon an application to the Office of the Accountant-General of the Federation for a Certified True Copy (CTC) of the 13% oil derivation fund from the federation account to the Delta State Government between 2015-2022, the sum of N1,077,450,285,552.17 was disbursed to the Delta State Government from July 2015 to December 2022, for the Rehabilitation and Development of the oil Producing Communities in Delta State.
The Association also expressed
serious concern over the alleged brazen manner funds meant for oil and gas-producing communities was channeled to other purposes in violation of
AOGC lamented that all efforts by community members, leaders, and other well-meaning personalities in Delta State to have the Delta State Government obey, observe and comply with the DESOPADEC law and render account for the said misappropriated fund have proved abortive hence the petition.
“We are strongly appealing to the Commission saddled with the responsibility to probe and Investigate the immediate past Governor, Senator Ifeanyi Arthur Okowa, to recover and return our money of the 50% of the 13% Oil derivation fund from the federation account to the State Government and render necessary account for the said illegally and unlawfully misappropriated balance to DESOPADEC coffers, to enable them develop our communities, ” the petition read in part.