Gov. Uduaghan Chairs PDP Committee on fund raising for 2011

Source: huhuonline.com
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Who knows why the national leadership of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), in a bid to step up its preparations for the 2011 general elections has thought it wise to chose Nigeria 's oil and gas wealthy Delta State Governor , Dr. Emmanuel Uduaghan to head a

 21-member committee, to raise funds for the elections and other activities? Delta state is known to be atop in political fund raising of this type and other sundry squander of funds, especially as a rich state in oil and gas and other untapped natural and mineral resources. Past state executives has used the state's resources as gift for personal political gains.

Notable Deltans and politicians, who preferred anonymity, have condemned the naming of Governor Uduaghan in the committee as they see it as a means and ploy by Uduaghan to further strengthen his unhindered access to the huge treasury of Delta state, especially now with a supposedly backing of the national leadership of the PDP and the Presidency . 'Governor Uduaghan is not running an all-embracing government but a deceptive government. He has not done anything significant in Delta state. The people are hungry, angry and tired of his misrule.

We wonder why strangers sing his praises outside when they have not come into the state to witness things for themselves. Where do we go from here?' National chairman of the PDP, Dr. Okwesilieze Nwodo, who recently inaugurated the committee at the party's headquarters in Abuja , said that the committee became necessary because of the enormous logistic and financial challenges posed by the forthcoming general elections. In particular, Nwodo noted that provisions of the new Electoral Act which requires that primaries for the presidential and governorship elections be conducted in the 36 states and in all the Local Government Areas of the states respectively, made it imperative for the party to source for more funds to effectively carry out its functions.

Besides he said that the party has concluded plans to update and widely circulate and publicize its manifesto in addition to upgrading its information technology for efficient service delivery. The PDP chairman who commended Governor Uduaghan's headship of the committee explained that the Governor's choice received wide approval of party members including that of President Goodluck Jonathan . 'When we sat down to think about who should chair the committee, we just made one choice. We conferred with Mr. President and he just said your choice is the right choice' Nwodo stated and charged the committee to sensitize and mobilize party members at all levels to raise the required funds.

The fund raising committee chairman thanked Dr Nwodo for finding the committee members worthy of the task, saying that the growth of the party called for the increased funding requirements. Said he: 'There is no doubt that our party, PDP, has become very big and the bigger the party, the more responsibility on it... The committee will go round knocking at party members' doors soliciting for the needed funds' Membership of the committee was drawn from the party' s Board of Trustees , Governors, National and State Houses of Assembly, among others. Recall It is recalled that majority of Deltans allege that funds that have accrued to the state in the past three years were diverted by Governor Emmanuel Uduaghan who has resorted to strangulating the people from enjoying infrastructure development, education, employment and provision of basic amenities.

Also, recently the Delta North Stakeholders' Forum of the state's chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Asaba disassociated the Delta North Senatorial District and its people from Uduaghan re-election campaign. They accused the governor of parading Ibori's projects after squandering the state's N650 billion within three years. "We make bold to state that Governor Emmanuel Uduaghan's entire regime is a project of monumental deception that has nothing to show for the over N650 billion so far collected from the federation account since its inception in May 29, 2007'.

Findings reveal that Governor Uduaghan, desirous to clinch a second tenure in office as governor by all means is ready to use resources at his disposal, including funds accruing to DESOPADEC to ensure his second coming.