By Tochukwu Eluwa-Delta
As Delta State celebrates 29 years after its creation from the erstwhile Bendel State ,the Delta State chapter of the All Progressive Congress (APC) has charged the state governor Dr Ifeanyi Authur Okowa to use the monies that accrues to Delta State for the development of the state.
In a statement signed by APC Publicity Secretary Sylvester Imonina, Esq, he said “The Expenditures of State Government on any form of project is regulated by a Budget, which is a law duly passed by the State House of Assembly in furtherance of it’s constitutional mandate. In other words, the Governor of any State in Nigeria cannot make extra-budgetary Expenditures as he must first seek legislative approval by way of supplementary budget”.
Also, by virtue of extant Acts of the National Assembly and Laws of different States of the Federation, every State has her operational/territorial boundaries. That is, even a saintly Governor has no business carrying out developmental ventures with State resources in another State, other than his State.It is on the above premise that All Progressives Congress (APC), Delta State condemns in totality the grading and construction of roads in Igbanke Town in Edo State by the Governor of Delta State.
It has been reported both in the traditional and social media that the Governor of Delta State unlawfully deployed state resources meant for the development of Delta State to Igbanke, a Town in Edo State because of political and marital/filial relationship he has with some persons there.
The APC stated that ” a government that complains of inadequate funds on a daily basis and even went ahead to unlawfully reduce the salaries of Civil Servants and stopped imprest for political appointees went ahead to unlawfully deploy hard earned State resources for projects that are outside Delta State just to please certain family members is the most unconstitutional, repulsive and reckless thing any government can do. To our minds, this is wickedness, impunity and illegality taken too far”.
In Warri, Sapele, Ughelli, Ozoro, Kwale, Ogwashi-Uku, Umunede and other Towns, virtually all the roads are begging for attention. For instance, from Effurun Roundabout to Enerhen Junction near Warri, the road is nothing to talk about despite the fact that it is the gateway to the oil city of Warri. From Orhuwhorun Junction to Mofor Park and most streets in Ovwian, Ekete and Ujevwu in Udu Local Government Area, the roads are all in a very sorry state. Same applies to roads in Ozoro, Kwale, Obiaruku, Abraka and several other Towns in the State.
Feeder roads in our rural communities like Umuolu, Onogbokor, Iyede-Ame, Abala, Akra-Itti, Akra-Obodo and others are begging for attention. What most of the locals in these rural areas of the State require of the Government is grading of their roads which are hitherto nightmares to them as they cannot transport their farm produce to urban areas for sale in pursuit of their livelihoods.
The main opposition party in the State opined that,In this critical time of our Nation/State, the focus of every responsible and responsive Government should be to use its limited resources to better the lot of its people. Why is the case of Delta State different?
The Delta APC also called on the State House of Assembly to live up to its responsibilities as an independent arm of Government. The party posited that the Executive cannot continue to do things in the wrong way without constitutional checks and balances.The executive must not be allowed to continue on this path of unconstitutionality,the party stated.
