Lawmakers tasked on 5-yr tenure for DESOPADEC boss

By Emma Amaize
WARRI—CHAIRMAN of the Independent Committee on the Review of Delta State Oil Producing Areas Development Commission, DESOPADEC, Law, Prince Maikpobi Okareme,  has called on the Delta State House of Assembly to uphold the single tenure of five years for the chairman of the agency, which was recommended by the committee in its report to Governor Emmanuel Uduaghan.
Speaking in an interview with Vanguard, Prince Okareme said, “representatives from Ijaw, Isoko, Itsekiri, Ndokwa and Urhobo ethnic nationalities arrived at the recommendation after thoroughly reviewing the  laws,  which established other commissions in Delta State. While majority of the commissions have eight years tenure of four years,  renewable for another four years, others have a single five-year tenure.”

Pointing out that the recommendation was made in the best interest of the oil communities, he added, “indeed, to our knowledge, there is no commission in Nigeria, apart from the current DESOPADEC, that has a three-year tenure.

“Since copies of the report have been given to members of the House of Assembly, we expect them to adopt the single tenure of five years,  which should be adjusted to enable the current Board complete the extra two years before applying the rotational circle principle,” he added.

“It will be easier for the government to maintain equity, peace and stability in the state with the five oil producing ethnic nationalities being carried along in the five_year single tenure arrangement”, he said.