Advocacy Group Demands EFCC Probe into Alleged Corruption in DESOPADEC, Decries Misuse of Public Funds
A Niger Delta civil society group has called for urgent investigation into the activities of the Delta State Oil Producing Areas Development Commission (DESOPADEC), urging the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to probe the current Board and Management over alleged mismanagement of funds meant for the development of oil-producing communities in Delta State. The group, under the umbrella of the Niger Delta Civil Society Forum, alleged that resources allocated to the commission for critical infrastructure and community development may be diverted for personal and unrelated expenditures, including what it described as the “purchase of chieftaincy titles by public office holders.” Speaking on behalf of the group, Comrade Steven Luke, Unit Spokesperson of the forum, said the statutory responsibilities of the commission have been “gradually compromised,” warning that such actions, if left unchecked, undermine the purpose for which DESOPADEC was established. He stress...