Delta 2016 Budget: Desopadec Md Threatens To Resign Over Harassment

BEVERLY HILLS, January 07, (THEWILL) – The Managing Director of the Delta State Oil Producing Areas Development Commission (DESOPADEC), Olorogun Williams Makinde, has threatened to resign his position in the commission following alleged harassment over the commission’s budget.

Makinde’s aide who spoke with THEWILL alleged that the MD was miffed by pressure from the Speaker, Delta state House of Assembly, Hon. Monday Igbuya, for an honorarium as condition for the passage of the 2016 state budget.

The aide further alleged that several government agencies and ministries in the state are seriously under pressure by the House of Assembly leadership to grease their palm before the budget would be passed.

The source claimed that the Speaker had given the agencies/ministries options to either give a percentage of their overall budget as honorarium to House members or agree to a certain terms in the award of contracts to House members before their 2016 budget which is presently under screening could be pass into law.

Governor Ifeanyi Okowa had late last year presented a N265 billion budget proposal for the 2016 fiscal year to the Delta State House of Assembly, thus setting the stage for agencies/ministries to commence the budget defence procedures of the House.

Of all the ministries and parastatals in the state, DESOPADEC was allocated N28 billion; while education was allocated N10.1 billion; the state job and wealth creation scheme was allocated the sum of N2.296 billion. Others sector of the economy like transport sub-sector got, N15.421 billion and the Health sector has N5.9 billion earmarked.

The aide could not confirm if the Governor was aware of the development.

All efforts by THEWILL to get comments from the Speaker, through his media aide, Mr. Felix Ekwu who had promised to get across to his boss, and the Chief Press Secretary to the Speaker, Mr. Henry Ovie Ebireri proved abortive as at the time of filing this report.