Delta
leaders under the auspices of The People’s Movement Tuesday criticized members
of the Ndokwa Youth Elite Forum (NYEF)
who recently exhibited their negative obsession with the person of Governor
Emmanuel Uduaghan in a petition to
President Goodluck Jonathan, saying their actions and activities smack of
vendetta, sheer blackmail and hidden agenda to destabilize the state.
The leaders
also described the youths as misguided,
misinformed and brainwashed individuals hired by the opposition to foment trouble
in the state .
“ His
Excellency is performing and the people are fully behind him" the leaders
said in a statement by the Director of Communications of The People’s Movement,
Mrs. Ibifuro Tatua.
Maintaining
that the governor’s approach and style may not have impressed some new
generation rabble rousers and political jobbers who see politics as a
cake-sharing vocation, the leaders said the petition was a malicious one aimed at tarnishing the
image, personality, character and hard-earned integrity of the governor.
“The
executive governor is not reckless as projected by the youths.”
The Ndokwa
youths, according to the leaders, were
clueless about the activities of the commission and the realities on ground .
Noting the
hypocrisy and the poverty of the criticism,
the leaders stated that DESOPADEC was set up to rehabilitate, rejuvenate
and resuscitate the peoples and communities of the oil producing areas of Delta
State.
They
stressed that a total of N149bn was released to oil-producing communities in
the state through the Commission to enable it perform and fulfill its mandate
to the people as well as for development projects in the last five years.
“Delta was
not misusing the derivation fund, as 50 per cent of it had been allocated to
DESOPADEC.” The leaders said.
They also
said top Nigerians and foreigners had applauded the Delta State governor for
ensuring economic transformation of the riverine communities, re-building the
destroyed and neglected cities of the military crisis of May 13th, 2009 and
training of Deltans at home and abroad through its scholarship scheme.
“ The
commission has since been recording laudable results in terms of development”
the leaders said.
DESOPADEC,
the leaders further stated, awarded 1664
projects in the 19 local government areas which form its areas of jurisdiction
between 2007 till date.
“Out of
these projects, 347 were cited in Itsekiri, 424 in Ijaw, 455 in Urhobo, 305 in
Isoko and 115 in Ndokwa areas”
Recalling
the achievements of the commission, the leaders said in July, 2009, the people
of Beneku in Ndokwa East Council Area commended the State Governor, Dr Emmanuel
Uduaghan for his progrramme of development in the State, especially on the restoration of Ferry Services to the
community for the crossing of goods and
services to and from Beneku community.
They said a
team of Americans, led by the Political and Economic Officer of the American
Embassy in Nigeria, Helena P. Schrader in January, 2010 visited DESOPADEC in
Warri and commended the commission’s efforts,
particularly in the renovation of
police staff quarters at "A" Division, Warri, Miller Water side road,
Warri Club Jetty, DEOPADEC head office complex, completed blocks of classrooms
and laboratory at Hussey College, Cavagina Primary School block of classrooms,
Omatshola Primary School block of classrooms, and block of class rooms at Our
Ladys College, Effurun amongst others.
Emphasizing
that Governor Uduaghan and members of his cabinet were responsible, accountable
and focused , the leaders called on the people to discard such infamous
insinuation and concentrate on those noble objectives that can help reposition
the state.
They
appealed to members of NYEF to look critically inwards with a view to removing
the log in their eyes.
The leaders
also appealed to the Chairman of the Itsekiri oil and gas producing
communities, Prince Ikenwoli Emiko and others to see the renovation of Police
Barracks in Warri and Warri Club by the commission as part of the social responsibilities of the commission and
settle the matter amicably.
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