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Lori-Ogbebor sues DESOPADEC, others over development funds  

By Seye Olumide
22 February 2017   |   1:23 am
Human Rights activist, Chief Rita Lori-Ogbebor, has instituted a suit against the board members of the Itshekiri Regional Council (IRC), management of Chevron Nigeria Limited...

Human Rights activist, Chief Rita Lori-Ogbebor, has instituted a suit against the board members of the Itshekiri Regional Council (IRC), management of Chevron Nigeria Limited and the Delta State Oil Producing Areas Development Commission (DESOPADEC), before a Federal High Court in Warri.

She is asking the respondents to explain how funds meant for community development in Delta State have been spent over the years.

Speaking at a press briefing in Lagos yesterday, Ogbebor said she also joined the Delta State government in the suit, which is scheduled to come up tomorrow.

The Igba of Warri said she was not happy about the abject condition in the Niger Delta and especially among the Itsekiri people where poverty, youth unemployment and other vices were not supposed to be if the 13 per cent derivation meant for the development of the rural communities were judiciously spent.

Her words: “There is little the region could blame President Muhammadu Buhari or past leaders of the country for without first asking its leaders to account for the huge funds voted for the development of the area.

“There is no reason Delta State should be poor if it has judiciously managed the 13 per cent derivation as established in the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with oil companies, the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) and the Amnesty programme.”

On the MoU between Chevron and the Niger Delta communities, Ogbebor pointed out that the aim of that agreement was to bring some hope and development to the area.

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