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Corruption: Group Lambasts Uduaghan Over Lack Of Transparency, Accountability

October 3, 2011

Governor Emmanuel Uduaghan has again been accused of mismanaging state resources of over N110 billion received from the federation account.

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Governor Emmanuel Uduaghan has again been accused of mismanaging state resources of over N110 billion received from the federation account.

And the opposition in the state has challenged him on the dilapidated roads and schools in the area.  In a letter addressed to the state governor and signed by National coordinator of the Niger Delta Peace Coalition, Mr. Zik Gbemre said there are more questions than answers, on the part of the state government’s ability to account to Deltans concerning how every kobo of revenue coming into the state since 1999 has been expended.

The group said that the N110, 773,603,736.17 which the Federal Ministry of Finance through the Office of the Accountant-General of the Federation, summarized in its Net Revenue Allocation to states by Federation Account Allocation Committee from January to July, this year left Deltans in shock.

“We were left in absolute shock and in wonder to find at that Delta state alone had received the whopping sum of N110, 773,603,736.17 (One Hundred and Ten Billion, Seven Hundred and Seventy-Three Million, Six Hundred and Three Thousand, Seven Hundred and Thirty-Six Naira, Seventeen Kobo),” the statement said. 

Mr. Gbemre further pointed out that everything seems to be in a ‘standstill’ at the moment in the state. He enumerated as follows: “Our road networks are all virtually in a terrible state with unspeakable pot-holes and gullies. The health Sector is in a poor state. The educational sector is even worse off with dilapidated structures and classroom blocks/roofs that are begging for refurbishment/maintenance, not to mention the dehumanizing ways teachers are being treated with their salary payments.” asserting that within the seven months period, the state was plunged into “shrouded clandestine financing.”

The pressure group expressed bewilderment that transparency and accountability, as attributes of good governance and democracy, have eluded the state, even as it affirmed the “self-perpetuating government” re-branding logo of the state. “With the current rains at the moment, the poor drainage system and ineffective Waste Management have made the state to be like a national disaster that is about to happen; not to mention the degrading infrastructural development in and around the entire major cities of Delta State.

While the group said the “well-created and decorated white-lie”, designed to deceive the people of state did not proffer satisfactory justification deceptive treatment on the people of the state, it commended the new Finance Minister, Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, for opening-up the shrouded clandestine state and federal financial activities and urged the state government to make its account open for sustainable development.  It also called on people of other states of the federation to pay attention to the management of their funds.

The statement observed that there is absolutely nothing on ground in Delta state to justify the billions of Naira accruing to the state every month from the Federation allocation as well as its internally generated revenue.

Meanwhile Uduaghan has been told to declare a state of emergency on schools and roads across the state. The Delta state chairman of the Community Party of Nigeria (CPN), Mr. Mamuzo Emamowho, said in Asaba that bad roads without drainage have exposed residents of Asaba and its environs to the menace of erosion and flooding.  He stressed that the ingredients of any democratic system of government are the ability of such a government, no matter the level, to be accountable and transparent to its populace in the management and appropriation of public funds and resources.

He identified some of the affected dilapidated roads to include Anwai Road, which leads to Government House, Asaba; the Jesus Saves, Osadebe Way, DLA road, Okpanam road, Ezenei Avenue road, Umu-onaje (1-2x) road, Infant Jesus road, Deputy Governor’s Office. 
He underlined that the degree to which any government is able to execute projects toward the development of the people should be the determinant factor that government should be allowed to remain or branded as an undemocratic civilian government.

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