Confusion as Governor Okowa is hit by massive defeat

– Governor Ifeanyi Okowa of Delta state is now to declare what his government had done with the 13 percent derivation accruing to his state

– The ruling given by a high court sitting in Warri, Delta state also demands that the governor should state why half of the fund is deducted from what gets to DESOPADEC

– The court also declares that the projects executed with the total amount paid to the state from the federation account to the date of commencement ‎of the DESOPADEC law must be made public

Governor Ifeanyi Okowa of Delta state could now be forced to declare what his government does with the 13 percent derivation his government gets as an oil-producing state.

Court rules that Governor Ifeanyi Okowa must make public what happened to 13 percent derivation fund

Nigerians have often questioned why some oil-producing states remain poor and undeveloped commensurate to what is earned as derivation.

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A Delta state high court sitting in Warri has now declared that the state government has the obligation to explain what it does with the 13 per cent derivation funds, in accordance to the Freedom of Information Act.

Vanguard reports that the Justice PO Onajite Kuejubola, gave the ruling while delivering judgment in a suit with number: W/377/2015, between Olakunle Edun and three others and the governor of Delta state.

The report said the suit was instituted to compel the government to account for the funds following an allegation that there are no existing infrastructures in Warri and other communities producing oil.

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The court declared that by virtue of the provision of section 1 (1) (3) 3 (1) of the Freedom of Act, 2011, the defendant being a public officer, is under a legal obligation to provide the claimants with the information he has requested as contained in the letter, dated September 15, 2015.

The court also also ruled that the government must explain why only 50 percent of the derivation funds from the federation account gets to the Delta state Oil Producing Areas Development Commission (DESOPADEC).

The court further declared that all the projects executed with the amount that got to DESOPADEC should be made public.

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Apart from this, all the projects executed with the total amount so far paid to the state from the federation account to the date of commencement ‎of the DESOPADEC law (August 1, 2006) must be made public.

At the time of this report, it is not known if the government will appeal the judgement.

Meanwhile, Governor Okowa has decried the destruction of pipelines by militants in the Niger Delta region and said it has affected the payment of salaries.

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