The Delta State Host Communities of Nigeria Producing Oil And Gas, (HOSTCOM), Urhobo ethnic nationality Youth Wing – Urhobo HOSTCOM Youths – has condemned in strong terms the orchestrated protest of the Association of Oil and Gas Producing Communities of Delta State, who went to the EFCC demanding for the probe of former Governor Arthur Ifeanyi Okowa.
The Urhobo HOSTCOM Youths who spoke in Warri Delta State after a well-attended Exco meeting held in Manuex Place, Jakpa road on Saturday, June 24th, 2023, called on EFCC, other relevant agencies of government and the general public to disregard the black market lies cooked and peddled by the mischief workers who go by the name Oil And Gas Producing Communities of Delta State in order to tarnish the good name and unblemished character of Senator Dr Arthur Ifeanyi Okowa, the former Governor of Delta State.
The Urhobo HOSTCOM Youths stressed in their counter statement that
Senator Dr Arthur Ifeanyi Okowa, the former Governor of Delta State, who earned the coveted acronyms of Road Master Governor and the renowned Ekwueme of the Universe on account of his superlative performance in the office with uncountable legacy projects deserves kudos and a pat on his shoulders, instead of this politically motivated protest calculated to smear and rubbish the good name he has been building over the years as the Governor who brought Prosperity to all Deltans under the SMART Agenda and Stronger Delta vision.
A press release signed by Comrade Sweet Otiotio and Hon Happy Gbeke, as Chairman and Secretary respectively made available to media outlets reads in part:
“Despite all the legacy projects, it is indeed absurd and lamentable that some persons /who call themselves representatives of oil and gas producing communities in Delta State, on Thursday last week shamelessly went to the headquarters of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission in Abuja to protest against alleged misappropriation of N1tn oil derivation fund belonging to Delta State during the administration of ex-governor Ifeanyi Okowa, even when the state audited account repeatedly cleared the innocent man.
“Those behind this sponsored protest against our amiable former Governor Okowa are the enemies of progress, the protest should not be accorded too much attention to checkmate them from getting undue relevance.
“What these paid protesters are doing against former Governor Okowa will certainly come to naught because the venom of a viper does no harm to the back of a tortoise, in like manner, Okowa is a political leader with a clear conscience and so have nothing to be afraid of.
“All these protests sponsored by politicians to rattle perceived enemies cannot go far, because, those who are paid to chant the war songs are displaying the skin of Esau, while the voice is clearly Jacob.
”The people paid to fabricate the allegation of fraud against the former Governor of Delta State are bad mathematicians as they could not present facts and figures hence they came up with the bogus figures of N1.1 Trillion which is not realistic if we take a logical look at what was accruable in the period under review.
“Enough of the game of playing to the gallery because there is no way we can grow exponentially as a state, unless we cultivate the habit of being our brothers’ keeper, no matter what because the major focus of leadership should be the people, for whom Governor Okowa stood to the end.”
According to the Urhobo HOSTCOM Youths, the allegedly diverted 50 percent DESOPADEC funds from the 50% Oil Producing Areas Development Commission gotten from the 13% oil derivation fund for the rehabilitation and development of oil-producing areas in Delta State is an issue that was properly clarified as fallacy by Bashorun Askia Ogieh the immediate past MD/CEO of DESOPADEC who made it clear that Governor Okowa adequately funded DESOPADEC as required by the Act which established the Commission.
