Prince Kehinde Taiga, president of Committee for the Defense of Human Rights (CDHR) has rejected the reasons given by Governor Ifeanyi Okowa for borrowing N150biilion at the twilight of his eight-year-administration.
Beginning from May 2022, Governor Okowa has 12 months to handover the administration of Delta state to a new governor who will be elected from the litany of aspirants clamouring for the ticket of either the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) of the All Progressives Congress (APC).
But last week, Okowa’s government sent a letter to the state house of assembly requesting the house to approve a borrowing demand of N150billion which the commissioner for finance, Fidelis Tilije, said would be used to take care of some critical projects and pay pensioners in the state.
He said the request was not particularly a loan but a discounting receivables from the federal government for petroleum subsidy payments made without recourse to the 13% derivation due to oil producing states from 2010 to date.
According to him, the funds totalling N270.6billion ought to have been received a long time ago but because the federal government could not pay the whole money in bulk, it became reasonable and logical that the oil producing states enter into an agreement for some part of it to be paid within 3 years and the other part within 5years.
He explained that the intention of Governor Ifeanyi Okowa was to ensure that on transition day, the debt profile of the state would be almost insignificant.
“So we thought it wise that rather than allow inflationary variables to dry down the proceeds of this recovery, it was important for us to discount some of them.
“Apart from the fact that we are paying old contractors, we are also ensuring that even the new contracts that was awarded which we refer to as legacy projects are also completed on time.
“The governor is also very mindful of the fact that pensioners are suffering. As at when we came into office in 2015, the total pension past dues was N35billion and we have been trying to reduce that outstanding dues.
He listed some of the projects to include, Orere bridge, Ode-Itsekiri Bridges and roads, Koka flyover and interchange, Bridge across River Ethiope at Obiaruku, the Ughelli-Asaba Road, Flood control in Effurun and Warri, Owa-Alero drainage channels and projects being executed in the three new universities.
But stakeholders in the Delta project and activists are rejecting the reasons given for applying for what the commissioner called bridge financing facility. Many are of the belief that arising from the crisis surrounding the 2023 governorship elections, the money may be deployed to fund the elections.
Reacting to the development, Prince Taiga said the decision of the governor was ill-timed, hence not acceptable to discerning minds. He told Emerald News on phone that there is so much money received by the state government from the federal government which has not been accounted for.
He added: “Now he has 12 months to leave office, the state house of assembly has approved N150bn for Okowa. That money is not for the development of the state. It is for Okowa to install another person that will make him continue his 3rd tenure. This is against the collective will of Deltans.
“If actually, Okowa has Deltans at heart, he won’t borrow such money at this time. This time that parties are organizing their primaries, Okowa wants to use our money to run PDP primaries, not for the development of the state. Okowa has not published what he has received so far from the federal government.
“IGR has never been accounted for. 13 percent derivation has not been accounted for. That is to show that Okowa’s government is worse than any other government that has been before he came on board. That money must not be released from any bank to the state.
The CDHR president called on Deltans to come out and demonstrate against the move of Delta state government saying: “There is no way Deltans will accept this N150bn.”
Arising from this, he called on PDP delegates who will participate in the governorship primaries to vote against any aspirant projected by the governor.
He added: “This is because Okowa wants use this money to sponsor his anointed candidate, not for state projects. It is for his continuation as 3rd tenure using his anointed candidate. Deltans must come out en-masse to protest against this government of Okowa.”
He also said if protest does not yield needed result, Deltans should come together and sue the governor and thereby block the money from being pulled from any bank.
With the belief that the money is meant to prosecute the elections, he advised delegates not to sell their future on the altar of little money.
He alleged that Okowa is bringing that money to buy votes, “So, what I have for delegates is that they should vote a credible candidate that can represent their party. This is to enable Deltans elect somebody that has the development of Delta at heart.
“Delegates should not vote based on who paid the highest. Political parties’ primaries are usually based on who paid the highest. This is the problem we have in this country.”
He called on delegates to examine the antecedents of all the governorship aspirants before voting for a credible one. He said a credible aspirant can be identified through his performance in the offices he has served, using the indices of approachability, accessibility, open mindedness, humility, contribution to immediate and wider society, acceptance of public opinion, picking calls while in office and others.
