DESOPADEC Indigenous Contractors Raise Alarm Over Plans to Disorganize Them with Impostors

By Osaro Michael, Benin

Delta State Oil Producing Areas Development Commission (DESOPADEC) Contractors Forum has kinked against alleged plans by some Executive Directors of the Interventionist Agency to cause disaffection amongst members over payment for contracts executed.

Rising from a meeting in Warri over the weekend, the forum alleged that some Executive Directors of DESOPADEC were planning to use some thugs to impersonate contractors to stage a protest thereby causing disaffection amongst its members.

The DESOPADEC Indigenous Contractors Forum particularly accused the Executive Director of Social Services, Chief Favour Zuokumo and Ijaw Commissioner in DESOPADEC, Chief Spencer Okpoye as the brains behind the plot to distablise the forum.

The plot, according to the forum was to stop the little payment set aside by the Managing Director, Chief Festus Ochornogho and the Executive Director, Finance and Administration, Chief kome okpobor payment to contractors.

It insisted that members of the DESOPADEC Indigenous contractors forum are paid according to job done

“In a meeting held today (Friday) in Warri, there were massive arguments as regards payments to jobs executed by contractors in DESOPADEC Indigenous Contractors Forum and jobs that were yet to be revaluated.

“In the course of the meeting, we gathered that some of the Executive Directors are working with thugs to impersonate contractors with the intention to stop the little payment set aside by the Managing Director and Executive Director Finance and Administration (EDFA) to pay contractors as their major target”, the forum said.

The DESOPADEC Indigenous Contractors Forum warned that it would do everything legally possible to frustrate the move by the said Executive Directors and ensure genuine contractors were adequately paid.

It also frowned at the payment system being introduced by making public payments to be made through the Executive Directors as against the previous practice when it was limited to the Managing Director and Executive Director Finance and Administration only.

“The payment system is keeping contractors at risk because in the history of DESOPADEC, this is the first time that aside the MD and EDFA, contractors payment are exposed to the public by giving records to all Executive Directors and Commissioners which is making the general public to know how much payments are made to each contractors even though the payments has not been encouraging as should be”, it added.

The forum noted that members had been adhering to pleas by its Chairman, Engr. Ogie Samson to exercise patience with DESOPADEC board but that their patience was running out.

Speaking during the meeting, Chief Bright Akpoejovi said “We have been respecting our Chairman, Engr. Ogie Samson, all in the name of patience to see the intervention of the Governor for adequate payment and re-evaluation of jobs before the emergence of this present board but till date, expectations and promises have been high without fulfilment.

He recalled that the forum Chairman, Ogie Samson, along side with the forum Secretary, Prince Charles Ebigbagha, High Chief James Tagbowei, Princess Beauty Perekeme Ugbabojor alongside contractors who are ijaws and other ethnic nationalities held a five hours meeting with the Executive Director Social Services, Chief Favour Zuokumo and the Ijaw Commissioner, Hon Spencer Okpoye.

“During the meeting it was made clear that the EDSS and the Ijaw commissioner are planning to organize some ijaw ethnic nationalities to protest in the name of ijaw ethnic nationality contractors posing to interrupt the payment of desopadec indigenous contractors

“Two days ago, an ijaw youth leader made a call to desopadec indigenous contractors forum that they were about to be paid to protest posing as an ijaw faction from DESOPADEC Indigenous Contractors Forum as published by same people who did a publication reflecting same subject matter”, he added.

The Public Relations Officer of the forum, Mr Patric Oghenemu complained that since the intervention of Delta State Department of State Security (DSS) request for suspension of their protests, the agreement of meeting to the demand of contractors forum was yet to be met despite there is a rumour that the Governor Rt Hon. Sheriff Oborevwori, has increased the inflow going into DESOPADEC.

They acknowledged that the EDFA Chief kome Okpobo MD, Chief Festus Ochornogho and Board Chairman have been trying their best for a harmonious relationship between the forum and management but called for more funds from the Governor Rt. Honourable Sheriff Oborevwori.