Delta State House of Assembly has tasked the Board of the Delta State Oil Producing Areas Development Commission, DESOPADEC, on prudent management of funds allocated to the interventionist agency to be able to touch the lives of the people of oil bearing communities of the state.
Chairman, State Assembly Committee on DESOPADEC, Honourable.Emomotimi Guwor, who gave the charge when he led other members of the committee on a familiarisation visit to the Commission’s headquarters in Warri, said the success of the organisation was critical to achieving the Stronger Delta vision of Governor Ifeanyi Okowa.
Honourable Guwor reminded the Board of its responsibility of ensuring the growth and development of oil producing communities in the state, stressing that DESOPADEC must deliver on its mandate to the people and could only do so with prudent management of funds released to the Commission.
In his words, ” the 50% of the 13% percent derivation funds to the state must be channeled properly to the needs of oil bearing communities”.
The Committee chairman urged members of the DESOPADEC Board to work as a team to enable them achieve set goals, adding that they should be guided by the law establishing the Commission and abide by the financial guidelines as well as other extant rules of the state.
He commended the Board for embarking on town hall meetings with the ethnic nationalities as a bottom to top approach to ensure that projects executed had direct impact on the people.
Earlier, the Managing Director of the Commission, Bashorun Askia Ogieh, expressed confidence in the capacity of the House Committee to encourage and midwife the policies and programmes of the Commission to achieve success.
Ogieh said the present Board on assumption of office went straight to tackling inherent challenges which included staff verification through biometric clock-in, office accommodation and huge debts owed contractors.
He stated that the Commission’s 2019 budget was ready for presentation, pointing out that in the 2020 fiscal year the Board would strive to reposition the Commission for better service delivery.
Other members of the Committee include, Honorables Rueben Izeze, Ferguson Onwo, Matthew Opuoru, Austin Chikezie, Asupa Forteta, Austin Uroye and Charles Emetulu.
