By Emma Amaize, Warri
FORMER governor of  Delta State, Dr. Emmanuel Uduaghan and the state commissioner for orientation and communication, Chief Paulinus Akpeki , have  faulted a suspected plan  of  the Democratic People’s Party, DPP,  gubernatorial  candidate in the state, Chief Great Ogboru, to scrap the Delta State  Oil Producing Areas Development Commission, DESOPADEC, if elected.

Uduaghan, who spoke at a meeting with representatives of oil and gas communities in the state, said he would resist the attempt to dissolve the commission and have its funds administered by unlawful authorities, The host communities, led by Prince Maikpobi Okareme, had  met with the ex-governor over the speculation that DESOPADEC was to be disbanded, but he said he had identified the  commission as an  agent of peace and prosperity, hence it was repositioned  for better service delivery through increased funding, when he became governor in 2007.

On his part,  Akpeki, who spoke to Sunday Vanguard in Asaba, stated that   with a monthly allocation of  between N8 and N9 billion from the Federation Account and a wage bill of between N5 and N6bn monthly, the state government could not  afford a payment of N2.5 billion to the councils, which duly receive their statutory monthly allocations.