The people of Kokodiagbene community in Warri South West Council of Delta State have warned the state government not to stoke up the embers of ethnic crisis through the budget of the state intervention agency, Delta State Oil Producing Areas Development Commission (DESOPADEC).The community, which is host to two flow stations, namely Jones Creeks and Otunana, with the total production output of 265,000 barrels per day, warned that the ‘’lopsided’’ allocations of projects were capable of throwing the state into another vicious circle of ethnic conflagration.
Kokodiagbene Chairman, Comrade Sheriff Mulade, who spoke with reporters at the weekend, urged the state legislature to do needful by ensuring that the provisions of the law of the commission on allocation of projects were followed to the letter for the sake of equity and fair play.
According to him, the 2016 budget has been skewed to favour the Itsekiri and Urhobo ethnic groups notwithstanding the fact that the Commission ought to ‘’follow its mandate of allocating projects based on production quantum’’.
Comrade Mulade disclosed that the Ijaws being the second largest producers to the Commission’s purse were allocated paltry projects, while the Chairman and Managing Director, who are from the Itsekiri and Urhobo ethnic stocks , got the largest chunk of the budget, a development he stressed totally negates the principles of equity and justice.
While condemning the alleged ‘’ injustice and gross abuse of power and deliberate shortchanging of the Ijaws’’, he called on the state government to review the process and follow laid down process as contained the laws setting up the Commission.
‘’We want to condemn and reject in its entirety the 2016 budget for the Ijaw ethnic nationality as it does not reflect the true position of the Ijaw’s production quantum. It is pertinent to note that the Ijaws are the second largest producers as claimed by the government. We were even shortchanged from first to second position and we allowed it for peace to reign.
‘’Now, from the centralized projects, the Chairman and Managing Director have cornered everything to themselves and their ethnic groups. This is a complete abuse of power. We unequivocally reject the injustice, marginalization and manipulation of the 2016 budget and urge that the process be reviewed to reflect the position of the law, justice and equity in project allocation to the various ethnic groups.’’
