ABUJA — SHOCKED by revelations that the Delta State Government collected a whopping N207 billion from the federation account between June 1999 and July 2004, the Warri Women Consultative Assembly yesterday asked Governor James Ibori to explain why there is yet no perceptible development in the state, especially in its riverine areas.
The group also said that it had commenced move to push for the stoppage of the release of Delta State allocation to Gov. Ibori if he refused to account for the allocation already collected by his administration.
The group did not expatiate on how it would achieve this.
But its spokesperson and Chairman, Chief Rita Lori-Ogbebor told newsmen in Abuja that her group had already begun mobilising all women in the state, especially those from the riverine areas for a peaceful protest against alleged maladministration of Gov. James Ibori in the oil-rich state.
Lori-Ogbebor who said that the peaceful protest will be tagged "Hunger and Poverty Protest," explained that there is much hunger and poverty in Delta State in spite of billions of naira being pumped into the government’s account every 30 days.
Her words: "It is time for all Deltans to stop and reflect on the style of administration of Governor James Onanefe Ibori in Delta state. It is time we stopped fighting, killing ourselves. It is time we asked Governor Ibori a big and all-important question bordering on how he has been spending our money.
"It is no longer hidden that the Federal Government had published the net allocations for all states of the federation including the nine oil producing states. It is not hidden either that of all the states of the federation, Delta state got the highest allocation between June 1999 and July 2004.
"In spite of the said whopping sum of N207 billion naira collected by our state, there is no development in Delta. We cannot point to any concrete thing done by this government of James Onanefe Ibori.
"The Itsekiris and the Ijaws should be asking this question — where is our allocation which run into billions of naira instead of fighting ourselves over creation of wards.
"The songs of those of us in the riverine areas should be why is it that we cannot feel the impact of this money in the areas of decent accommodation, food, clothing and even simple tools of fishing like nets and boats," she added.
The group however appealed to all well-meaning Nigerians, including government institutions like the police, the army, the navy to assist them by not disturbing them or frustrate their bid to peacefully protest against the Deltan government soon.
