A statement made available to The Story, by the group’s Global Coordinator, Hon. Christian Moses Abeh, charged the governor to tell Deltans what he did with the two months salary of civil servants which he slashed, blaming it on Covid-19 pandemic.
Deltans Lives Matter, alleged that the state governor used the deducted monies to sponsor the re-election of Edo State governor, Mr. Godwin Obaseki, who was returned as governor on Saturday 19th September 2020.
Hear him: “Unverified information has it that our Governor used the deducted money to support his party’s candidate to win the Edo State election as the Chairman of South-South Governors forum, despite the hardship, hunger, unemployment and poor government presence in Delta state”.
The statement which was co-signed by the Deputy Global Coordinator, Comrade Gabriel Omamuzo and the Europe Coordinator, DLM, Citizen Miracle Ifeanyi Ogor, stressed the need for the governor to come out pure instead of keeping silent on their call for financial prudence.
The group claimed that they have been calling on the Governor to tell Deltans what the deducted monies were used for “but he blatantly refused to account for it, either he is too big to be accountable to Deltans or the information concerning using our monies for Edo State Governorship election might be true same way we were told of how he used our money to construct roads and bridge in Edo state”, DLM, further alleged.
While calling on the governor not to allow himself to be dragged to the public drycleaner, Hon. Abeh, said: “It is a known fact that Governor Okowa usually distances himself from any false information targeted at him, the way he did when Dr. Cairo Ojougboh, accused him of operating a blank budget passed by the State House of Assembly in 2017, but doesn’t give a damn if the information is true”.
They alleged that “Despite calls for the Chairman of the Delta State Revenue Board to publish names of firms, individuals and multinational corporations that are paying taxes in Delta State to enable us know our State of finances when added to our monthly allocation and other monies, but he bluntly refused because the agency has become some sort of cassava farm privately owned by some powerful persons at the helm of government affairs that he is answerable to, therefore, he cannot account to Deltans because his godfather(s) will protect him highly from any stumbling block and probes. This nonchalant attitudes of public office holders in Delta state is to tell us that our State is no longer in safe hands but people who cares for their family members, relatives and cronies to the detriment of the poor masses”.
In its continuous outcry for accountability and transparency of public funds and public office holders, DML, demanded to Know the previous financial status of one of the governor’s political associates, Mr. Lawrence Oshiegbu.
The statement reads in part: “We make bold to ask what was Mr Lawrence Oshiegbu State of finance before June, 2015 and his current financial worth today? Mr Oshiegbu is the Governor’s closest friend and the Chief Consultant to Delta State Government.
“We are very much aware of his dealings from Nigeria to the USA and some other countries. We want to know how he got all those wealth and properties within this short period or is he fronting for some powerful persons in Delta State Government? DLM, queried.
The group claimed further that on the 29th of May, 2018, the Governor publicly told Deltans at the State Government event centre that the State has so much money to do anything, yet nothing to show for, does it mean our Governor didn’t save money for the rainy day to warrant slashing of workers salaries for two months?
“What did our Governor do with all those monies he told us about and then borrowed N2.2 billion a year after he made the statement for the completion of the State Secretariat few days (first week of June, 2019) after his second term inauguration in Office? Meanwhile, he couldn’t provide official vehicles for his appointees and senior Government officials despite the huge money he told us our state had then.
“The Governor also told us same day that the storm water project will be completed in March 2019, but we are in September 2020, with no sign of improvement on the same project. Asaba and its environs are always flooded when it rains because the drainage network did not connect the streets of Asaba, therefore can’t function”.
DLM insisted that the state governor is accountable to Deltans, maintaining that since 2015 till date, the amount of monies borrowed by his administration should be disclosed for Deltans to truly ascertain his level of prudence, “Tell us how much you have borrowed and how much you saved, how much was generated internally, how much we have received as monthly allocations, how much we have received as 13% derivations, how much from Gen Abacha’s refunded money and other grants received.
“How much expended on salaries and imprests, names, ranks/designation of those who are receiving salaries and imprests from Delta state government, their LGAs of origin and educational qualifications. How much spent on projects and locations of these projects with their valued amount attached to each, how much deducted as your security votes and grants/donations given to individuals and organisations with their names and bank account details attached to them, how much spent on Covid-19 and Lassa fever. This will make Deltans know if you are prudent in spending our State resources or not”, Hon. Abeh, argued.
On the number of deaths recorded due to road crashes, Deltans Lives Matter, charged the governor to as a matter of urgency construct flyovers in Uromi junction, Agbor and Coker junction, Asaba, while pedestrian bridges should be constructed at Ezenei junction by express, former Office of the Deputy Governor by express, police officers mess by Okwe junction, beside Road Safety office by express, Issele-Azagba by Ogwash-Uku junction along the expressway, Umunede-Mbiri junction by express and Issele-Uku junction by express.
According to the group which has become a thorn on the flesh of the governor, said, “the seven pedestrian bridges will not cost our huge resources anything. Our people are dying on weekly basis trying to cross the expressway, meanwhile our Governor is giving [misplaced] priority to driving school to the point of constructing one in Owa for N7 billion, instead of using that amount to do what will be beneficial to the masses directly”.
The group vowed to continue the agitation in the next press statement until alleged financial recklessness in the Okowa-led administration is brought to book.
