ITSEKIRI LEADERS OF THOUGHT
Providing Leadership Since 1974
CONTACTS
C/o Sir (Chief) I. O. Jemide J. O. S. Ayomike Edward O. Ekpoko, Esq.
3, Okoro Street, 12, Baptist Mission Road 40, Cemetery Road,
Off 1st Marine Gate Road G.R.A. – Warri, Warri, Delta State.
Warri – Delta State. Delta State. GSM: 08033918605
GSM: 08037279769 GSM: 08037981091 E-mail: edwardekpoko@yahoo.com
E-mail: omire.jemide@yahoo.com
PRESS STATEMENT
DESOPADEC AND ITS CAN OF WORMS
We the members of the Itsekiri Leaders of Thought (ILoT) based in Warri, Delta State have over time been concerned about the unbridled and unprecedented stealing of the resources of what was supposed to be the Delta State’s intervention agency for oil producing communities of the State.
2. Our worries motivated us to investigate some of the goings on in the Delta State Oil Producing Areas Development Commission (DESOPADEC) since its establishment in 2007. Our finding shows that DESOPADEC has been a cesspool of fraud, corruption, maladministration and favour dishing government agency. For over eight (8) years, DESOPADEC has been run like a vehicle with a drunken driver loaded with reckless passengers urging the driver on; the end, needless to say, is the sorrow state we now find ourselves.
3. Itsekiri Leaders of Thought, a body which acts as the eye, nose and ear of the Itsekiri people, was inundated with complaints by the various communities in the three Warri Local Government Areas of Delta State about contracts of projects awarded by DESOPADEC that were abandoned, poorly done, or do not even exist but yet payments made.
4. Consequently, we commissioned a body to verify these claims; and after physical inspections of well over sixty (60) projects randomly chosen from the over four hundred (400) purported projects, we are very sad to report that our findings revealed poor and dismal execution of projects and criminal indulgence by the Commission.
5. THE CAN OF WORMS
i. The project for the Development of Ugborodo New Town in Warri South West Local Government Area. This project was awarded at the sum of N1,000,000,000.00 (One Billion Naira) and has been certified by DESOPADEC as 100% completed and fully paid for. However, our Team on assessment found that the site has only very weak foundation for about 15 units of bungalow, which is less than 10% of completion. The name of the contractor is not known only the Office of the Honourable Chairman is shown as the contractor on paper.
ii. Construction/Establishment of Recreation Beach at Koko Beach in Warri North Local Government Area. This contract was awarded to Trisac Nigeria Limited at the sum of N1,200,107,054.00 (One Billion, Two Hundred Million, One Hundred and Seven Thousand, Fifty Four Naira). The percentage of completion is put by DESOPADEC at 19.78% with a cumulative payment of N237,389,451.32 (Two Hundred and Thirty Seven Million, Three Hundred and Eighty Nine Thousand, Four Hundred and Fifty One Naira, Thirty Two Kobo). There is nothing on ground to justify this payment to the contractor. The project location is not even accessible by road and the location is not suitable for recreation beach.
iii. Drainage, Sandfilling and Landscaping at Ogidigben Grammar School Hostel & Dining Hall in Warri South Local Government Area. This contract was awarded to A & J Construction Company Limited at the contract sum of N150,000,000.00 (One Hundred and Fifty Million Naira). DESOPADEC placed the job done at 85.41% and a cumulative payment of N128,108,153.15 has so far been paid. This project was never done.
iv. Construction of 2 Hostel Blocks and Dining Hall at Ogidigben Grammar School, Ogidigben in Warri South West Local Government Area of Delta State. The project was awarded to A & J Construction Company Limited at a value of N451,052,996.52 (Four Hundred and Fifty One Million, Fifty Two Thousand, Nine Hundred and Ninety Six Naira, Fifty Two Kobo) and DESOPADEC has claimed 95.61% completion and a cumulative payment of N431,261,017.48 (Four Hundred and Thirty One Million, Two Hundred and Sixty One Thousand, Seventeen Naira and Forty Eighty Kobo) has been made. The project is by no means complete. The Dining Hall ceiling is already caving in; some part of the roof is blown off; flooring, general finishing and fittings, are yet to be completed.
v. Construction of Recreation Beach Road, Koko in Warri North Local Government Area. The project was awarded at the sum of N315,040,073.00 (Three Hundred and Fifteen Million, Forty Thousand and Seventy Three Naira). The name of the contractor is not stated and the sum of N11,172,252.00 (Eleven Million, One Hundred and Seventy Two Thousand, Two Hundred and Fifty Two Naira) has been paid. Our investigation showed that the project is not visible. All that the contractor did was to clear a bush path
vi. Construction of Ultra Modern Library, Koko in Warri North Local Government Area. The contract was awarded to A & B Mabi Nigeria Enterprises at the sum of N35,000,000.00 (Thirty Five Million Naira) and DESOPADEC has so far made a cumulative payment of N33,009,347.25 (Thirty Three Million, Nine Thousand, Three Hundred and Forty Seven Naira and Twenty Five Kobo) with a claim of 94.31% completion. Despite the claim of DESOPADEC, the project is not completed. At best it can be put at 50% completion.
vii. Acquisition/Construction of Model Secondary Schools, Koko in Warri North Local Government Area. This project was awarded for the sum of N3,821,914,453.78 (Three Billion, Eight Hundred and Twenty One Million, Nine Hundred and Fourteen Thousand, Four Hundred and Fifty Three Naira and Seventy Eighty Kobo) but the name of the contractor was not stated. A cumulative payment of N286,693,996.00 (Two Hundred and Eighty Six Million, Six Hundred and Ninety Three Thousand, Nine Hundred and Ninety Six Naira) has so far been paid and it is described as ongoing. Our inspection revealed that although DESOPADEC approached the community for land for the school which was given free of charge, nothing has been done to justify the amount paid to the contractor. The model school is not even the priority of the community in the light of the deplorable condition of the existing secondary school, Iwere College, Koko. The funds ought to have been channeled to the development of the Iwere College, Koko.
viii. Supply and Installation of 250KVA Generator at Koko General Hospital in Warri North Local Government Area. This contract was awarded for the sum of N30,000,000.00 (Thirty Million Naira) and a cumulative payment of N29,279,580.00 (Twenty Nine Million, Two Hundred and Seventy Nine Thousand, Five Hundred and Eighty Naira) has been made at 97.60% completion as claimed by DESOPADEC. The project was not executed. Our investigation revealed that the generator supplied to the hospital was by the Delta State Government under Governor James Ibori’s administration.
ix. Furnishing & Equipping of Koko General Hospital in Warri North Local Government Area. This project was awarded on 22/12/2008 to Ricgban Nigeria Limited at the sum of N40,000,000.00 (Forty Million Naira) and N38,899,792.00 (Thirty Eight Million, Eight Hundred and Ninety Nine Thousand, Seven Hundred and Ninety Two Naira) and DESOPADEC falsely claimed 97.25% completion. The project was never done.
x. Other abandoned projects includes the Sandfilling of Koko General Hospital in Warri North Local Government Area of Delta State. This project was awarded to Ajuitse Nigeria Limited at the sum of N58,003,755.000 (Fifty Eight Million, Three Thousand, Seven Hundred and Fifty Five Naira) for which a cumulative payment of N42,425,693.00 (Forty Two Million, Four Hundred and Twenty Five Thousand, Six Hundred and Ninety Three Naira) has been made. The contract was abandoned after the Contractor damaged the fence of the hospital and never came back.
6. This exercise which was randomly carried out covered only about 15% of the about 400 projects awarded by DESOPADEC in Itsekiri communities in the three (3) Warri Local Government Areas of Delta State. The revelation here is just a tip of the iceberg as more damning revelations will be made subsequently as our Assessment Team turn in its report.
7. We have to shout out now as we are aware that there are strong pressures on both the Governor and the new Board of DESOPADEC by contractors for payment of outstanding payments for all these phony projects. DESOPADEC fund is meant to develop oil producing areas and not to be used as a personal fund to be dispensed at will for the benefits of political cronies instead of oil bearing communities.
8. We call on all well meaning oil bearing communities in Delta State to rise up and take their destiny in their own hands. Enough of this political brigandage of our common wealth!
Dated at Warri this 1st day of February, 2016
Signed for and on behalf of the
Committee of Itsekiri Leaders of Thought
EDWARD EKPOKO, ESQ.
Secretary
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