-Blank NEWS Online (NIGERIA) – By Albert OGRAKA:

The Managing Director/CEO of Delta State Oil Producing Areas Development Commission (DESOPADEC) Bashorun Askia Ogieh (FCNA,CrFA) has said the essence of the ongoing town hall/stakeholders meeting with oil bearing host communities, is in line with Governor Ifeanyi Okowa’s directive that the Commission formulates a way to get inputs from the people in its budget planning.

Bashorun Askia made the disclosure during the town hall/stakeholders meeting between DESOPADEÇ and the Ndokwa ethnic nationality on Tuesday, September 24, 2019 in Kwale, Ndokwa West local government area.

He said the Commission has set a paradigm shift from the way it used to be in the past. “We feel it is better for a bottom to top approach for us to hear from the people”, adding that the “absence of similar approach in the past gave room for vandalization of projects by miscreants because people saw them as DESOPADEC projects since their inputs were not included and such projects may not have been what the people actually wanted.”

The MD/CEO therefore encouraged the people to always take interest in the monitoring and supervision of projects being executed within their communities, saying that such concerns helps in safeguarding the projects from vandalism and also check the excesses of the contractors.

He emphasized that projects are executed within the limit of the budget based on the production quantum of the various oil producing ethnic nationalities in Delta state.

While calling on the central union of the Ndokwa ethnic nationality, comprising of Ndokwa East, Ndokwa West and Ukwuani local government areas respectively, to collate and prioritize the needs of the communities, Bashorun Askia assured that the outcome of the deliberations would be adequately addressed by the Commission.

Earlier, Hon. Leonard Anoka, Executive Director of Social Services Development had assured the people that all ongoing projects embarked upon by DESOPADEC would be completed , adding that the Bashorun Askia Ogieh leadership as MD/CEO will usher in a new phase of development and achievement to the communities.

Rt. Hon. Dr. Olisa Imegwu, former member of the Federal House of Representatives and Speaker of Delta state House of Assembly, who spoke on behalf of his people, appealed for the completion of key projects, fair distribution of projects and the need to update the present production quantum which has been operational since 2008.