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Bashorun Askia Ogieh, Managing Director, DESOPADEC.

The Delta State Oil Producing Areas Development Commission (DESOPADEC) is positioned for greater achievements in year 2020, despite the perculiar challenges facing the oil producing communities, according to the Commission’s Managing Director, Bashorun Askia Ogieh.

A statement by the Special Assistant, Media and Strategic Communication, Mr. Sunny Areh stated that Bashorun Ogieh in a 2020 New Year message said the focus of DESOPADEC as a major plank of the Stronger Delta mantra, “in the year will be on the tangibles and intangibles, in providing for the needs of our people and meeting developmental aspirations of the various communities that form the oil producing areas of the State.

“We will be fully involved in the provision of healthcare facilities, educational and infrastructural development as well as socio-economic welfare of our people, throughout the year and in the coming years,” he said, adding that “We intend to ensure that every facet of the wellbeing of our mandate areas are captured and executed, in keeping with the overall developmental objectives of the Delta State Government.”

While pleading for cooperation from stakeholders, Askia said: “All these lofty projects earmarked for the year will be a mirage in the absence of peace and security. I am, therefore, pleading with all our traditional rulers, youth and community leaders to continue to maintain the peace in their various domains. We can only thrive and fast-track development in an atmosphere of peace and tranquility.”

He said the commission has committed itself to effecting a new approach in discharging its responsibilities, and that “Our bottom-up approach will be sustained as regular consultations and liaison with community leaders, youth and women groups will be the primary strategy in choosing the nature of projects to be executed in our communities.”

Pointing out that the era of management choosing and deciding projects for communities, is in the past Bashorun Askia said, “We have decided that communities must own and protect projects in their areas. In effect, it behoves on the community leaders to report all noticeable shoddy jobs by our contractors to us for sanctions and possible determination.”

While reassuring staff of management’s readiness to ensure that their welfare is of utmost importance and that all due entitlements will be accorded them, the DESOPADEC chief pledged to run a transparent and people-oriented Commission, “where we will be accountable at all times to all stakeholders,” even as he called for continued support for the state government as the principle of building a Stronger Delta, through the provision of infrastructural and human capital development programmes and projects, will guide our activities throughout the year.”