OGHENETEJIRI NYERHOVWO
Senator Ifeanyi Okowa, governor of Delta State has been accused of allegedly mismanaging the state resources instead of diversifying the revenue base of the state.
This accusation was made by Delta Youths Parliament (DYP) in a statement signed by Com. Wilson Okorugbo and Com. Oscar Wiliki, President and Publicity Secretary respectively of the group made available to National Reformer, they noted that there is no single investment in the state, “rather what we hear is the divestment of 60% equity stake of Delta Line to a private business owner.”
The group said that the dwindling country’s revenue as a result of the fall in oil price has made governments at various tiers to shift their focus to other largely ignored revenue streams and wondered why the Senator Okowa led administration is not acting.
The group disclosed that in April, 2017, Governor Akinwunmi Ambode of Lagos State signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) in Switzerland with Bunes AG for the acquisition of 32 tonnes per hour rice mill, which will in addition to generating revenue for the government, create 200,000 jobs.
The youth group also observed that recently, the Vice President, Prof. Yemi Osinbajo commissioned the 60,000 metric-tonnes per year fertilizer and chemical company in Edo state that was rejuvenated by Gov. Godwin Obaseki meant to create 500 direct jobs.
On the recent divestment of 60% equity shares from DeltaLine Transport Company, the group were of the opinion that the action of Governor Okowa has political undertone and not in the economic interest of the state as explained because it does not reflect the reality on ground.
According to the youth group, “it is a clear agenda of vendetta against the immediate past administration which repositioned the company with 160 brand new Toyota Hiace buses and 76 new Toyota corolla cars and cash incentives in a futile effort to erase Dr. Emmanuel Uduaghan’s legacy.
“It will be recalled that immediately Gov. Okowa was sworn in, he sacked over 3,000 civil servants employed by his predecessor and dissolved the Delta state Edu/ Environmental Marshals and established the Delta State Traffic Management Authority (DESTMA). We are very confident that no private investor will invest in Delta Line if it is not commercially viable as Okowa’s government is making us to believe.”
The group further argued that if there is no remittance of revenue from the company, why has the company not been audited since passengers are issued tickets at the park and drivers made to register their names in the manifest at Ogwashi –Ukwu junction with the task force. And if the account has been audited why has Okowa not prosecuted the culprits’ who were indicted from the audit report?
They added, “a responsive government would do the needful instead of divesting, would audit the company, prosecute those indicted and put machineries in motion to block all leakages/wastage and set targets of revenue to be generated by the company.
