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Ibori ready to render account
Ibori ready to render account
— Delta SSG
SECRETARY
to the Delta State Government, Dr. Emmanuel Uduaghan, yesterday reacted swiftly
to media reports on revenue accruing to the state saying the Chief James Ibori-led
administration prepared at any time to account for the monies the state has
received since 1999.
This came against the backdrop of
insinuations in the media that governments of the South geo-polity were
mismanaging their revenues.
Uduaghan who spoke to newsmen,
explained that the N207.205 billion said to be have been received by the state
government from the federation account from 1999 to date were spent on recurrent
expenditures and capital projects.
A report, it was alleged, showed
that the state received N207.205 billion from the federation account within the
period. The breakdown showed that N3.131 billion was received in the second half
of 1999, N27.358 billion in 2000, N40.53 billion in 2001, N43.610 billion in
2002, while N52.365 billion and N40.208 billion respectively were received in
2003 and in the first half of 2004.
But the secretary while reacting
to this said, "We can account properly for this money. Every money sent to
the state is not for capital projects alone. Up to 50 per cent of the money is
spent on recurrent and that means to pay salaries and also take care of the
workers welfare. And we should realize that the presidential system of
government which we have chosen in Nigerian is very expensive system. It takes
alot of money on recurrent.
"Moreover, salaries have
more than doubled between 1999 and now. The minimum wage was N3,500 in 1999 but
is now N7,500. And as we were being given this money, we were also told to pay
the maximum minimum wage. And people should take all these one into
consideration when asking where are the billions."
The other 50 per cent we are
using for capital projects. The things are thee on ground. People who criticize
without even coming to look round".
He listed some of the capital
projects to include, the construction of four bridges, various road projects,
three polytechnics and a college of physical education massive rehabilitation
and construction of health facilities, as well as the various stadia it has
built.
Dr. Uduaghan said what has been
given to the state in the last five years was not up to the amount that is used
to build Wimbledon Stadium in London.
The scribe had the previous day called on the
federal government to plough back the excess crude oil revenue into the
development of the Niger Delta remarking that the money was derived from the
region.
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