Delta State Governor Ifeanyi Okowa has appealed to communities to be vigilant against pipeline vandalism which he said led to loss of three million barrels of crude oil in the state recently.
Addressing a delegation of Ukoko R’Ivie R’Urhobo, the umbrella body of traditional rulers from Delta-Central Senatorial District, said in April, 2015, the state lost three million barrels of crude oil as a result of attacks on oil pipelines.
“I want to say to Deltans that we should be more vigilant against pipeline vandals. They are doing us a lot of disservice, because based on the indices that have been sent to us, we are losing a lot and it will reflect in this July allocation that will be sent to us”, he said.
The governor added that the amendment bill for the Delta State Oil Producing Area Development Commission (DESOPADEC) which has passed through second hearing is aimed at making the organisation more effective.
“We are not going to do anything in secret. In my inaugural speech, we made it clear that we will strengthen DESOPADEC along the NDDC (Niger Delta Development Commission) pattern. We want to ensure that we have a structured management system that will not be based on ethnic sentiments. Commissioners from different ethnic nationalities will be members of the board. I insisted on a public hearing so as to get the peoples’ views which will vastly enrich the bill before it is passed into law”, he said. He also debunked rumour of closure of the Government House Annex in Warri, saying it was undergoing renovation.
The governor further stated that the civil service recruitment exercise in the state was suspended because the process was faulty.
“Three hundred persons were employed towards the end of the last administration with all sorts of scandal that led to suspension of the board. The process was wrong and as such the end result cannot be right. I promised Deltans fairness and justice. I will try to do what is right and just. With the drop in the price of oil, the state cannot even pay its existing workers without overdraft. So, is it right to employ more people”, he said.