By Emma Amaize

WARRI—THE Centre for the  Vulnerable and Underprivileged, CENTREP, Warri, Delta State, has said that political interference and not restructuring was the problem of  Delta State Oil Producing Areas Development Commission, DESOPADEC.

Reacting to the recent passage of the amended DESOPADEC bill by the Delta State House of Assembly, the group, said: “We are not oblivious of the fact that undue political interference accounts for the earth quaking level of corruption, greed and mismanagement afflicting the commission.”

Executive Director of CENTREP, Mr. Oghenejabor Ikimi, in a statement,  said that  the mandate of DESOPADEC was to develop oil-bearing communities with 50 per cent of the 13 per cent derivation fund accruing to the state from the Federal Government.

“Restructuring DESOPADEC like NDDC would not by any stroke of imagination reposition the commission, as NDDC even with her present structure is riddled with massive corruption, greed and mismanagement.

“There is undue political interference in the  day-to-day management and finances of NDDC by both the Presidency and members of the National Assembly under the watch of ex-President Goodluck Jonathan, hence the urgent need by Governor Ifeanyi Okowa to insulate DESOPADEC from politics by appointing tested technocrats to man the commission to realize its mandate.

“We make bold to state that as long as the day to day running and finances of DESOPADEC is subjected to undue political interference whether it is structured like NDDC or otherwise, the commission would remain a cesspool of corruption as it was the case under the ex-governor’s watch.”