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DELTA FRESH VISION recently stumbled on a highly politicized propaganda piece written by one Swill Mavua . It was an article that stood truth on its head with attempts to malign the Governor, Rt Hon Sheriff Oborevwori and throw mud into the activities of DESOPADEC .

Beneath the emotionally charged language of the writer lies a fundamental problem: claims are repeatedly presented as facts without evidence, while unrelated issues are deliberately woven together to create a scandal where the facts may not support one .

DESOPADEC deserves a more serious and balanced conversation. The first question one may ask is : where is the evidence? A responsible discussion requires the so called High Court judgment of May 26 to be produced, its exact orders examined, the parties bound by the judgment identified. A court judgment is not properly discussed by headline figures and political rhetoric. It must be read in its entirety. If indeed there is an enforceable judgment directing a particular party to pay a specific sum, the public deserves to know precisely who was ordered to pay , what amount was awarded , the period covered, whether an appeal was filed and whether execution was stayed .

In this particular case there was actually a court judgment which DESOPADEC management faulted and appealed . There is a stay of execution on the High court judgment and until there is final adjudication on the matter, the DESOPADEC management cannot act. In the meantime, DESOPADEC management has a robust relationship with its workers, promotions are done as when due and conditions of service are excellent. The DESOPADEC management needs to be acknowledged and appreciated for doing a very effective and efficient staff reorganization that had saved the Commission millions of naira .
It is also instructive to note that DESOPADEC commenced the payment of the new minimum wage of N79,100 to its workers from November 2024, including payment of October arrears. A health insurance Scheme was introduced/ strengthened to cover spouse and up to four children. Some previously disengaged workers who were considered to have been unjustly laid off have been reinstated, with arrears paid in some cases.

It is therefore very wrong for Mavua to create the erroneous impression that the DESOPADEC management has an estranged relationship with its workers and that they are in fact on a war path

These are the posers that we must push to armchair critics who are bent on politicizing issues that are purely administrative.

Until these questions are answered , the whole publication by Swill Mavua remains mere political rhetoric and conjecture than responsible analysis. When elections are very close these types of political propaganda often emanate to mislead the electorate.

The attempt to portray DESOPADEC as a BOARD without an institutional integrity is equally misleading. DESOPADEC was established by law with a specific mandate to develop oil- producing communities in Delta state . It had its own institutional structures, management and Board . Therefore , every issue concerning its finances , employees, projects and administration should be examined within the relevant legal and administrative framework.

The most sensational part of the article is the claim that 500 councillors received N20 million each , amounting to N10 billion and that this was a political gift intended to purchase grassroots loyalty. A journalist should not make spurious statements without back up evidence. It is very uncharitable for Mavua to make this wild claim . There is basically no correlation between the third tier of government ( Local Government Councils) and DESOPADEC. Local governments have their own finances while DESOPADEC have theirs . Their expenditure lines and responsibilities do not meet. One wonders how Mavua was able to conjure this spurious claim to mislead the electorates of Delta state. Again, like we said , we should not mix politics with things that concern the lives of people.

Perhaps the greatest disservice to DESOPADEC in the article is to attempt to define the Commission almost exclusively through a dispute over salaries . DESOPADEC represents a much larger developmental responsibility. Its relevance is measured by what it does for communities in the oil producing areas: roads, schools , health facilities, water projects , electricity, skills acquisition, youth empowerment, community development and other interventions within its mandate.

For the avoidance of doubt , the Delta State House of Assembly has oversight over DESOPADEC activities. It is therefore mischievous to attempt to drag the name of Governor Sheriff Oborevwori into the day -to -day running of DESOPADEC. This clearly shows that Swill Mavua is very ignorant about how government and its agencies work .

The writer also made the bizzare assertion that Governor Oborevwori does not have the will and capacity to Govern Delta State. This is laughable because the Governor’s outstanding leadership qualities and exceptional governance credentials are already in the public space .

Mavua does not represent any constructive objectives by making unverified allegations and then building an entire political narrative around them . While criticism is good for democracy, it should be fair, accurate and supported by evidence. Making sweeping allegations without evidence is counterproductive and has the potential of misleading a whole population. it is good to demand accountability but wrong to mistake allegation for evidence, arithmetic for proof or political rhetoric for established fact .

Mavua tried to create the erroneous impression that DESOPADEC and the Delta State Government are underperforming. This is far from the truth . Just to pick a few for the Delta State Government- we must mention the iconic flyover projects being undertaken by Julius Berger at DSC , PTI and Enerhen corridors. These projects are in varying degrees of completion . Flyovers are being replicated at Otovwodo junction and Agbor , which will bring permanent solutions to the long Standing congestion at the strategic junctions.
We must also mention the completion by the Delta state government of the Trans- Warri Ode Itsekiri road and bridges as well as the 149 kilometer Asaba – Ughelli Expressway . Roads and bridges are being developed across communities previously constrained by poor access. The list is endless. As at December 2025 , DELTA FRESH VISION has recorded about 513 road projects with a cumulative length of 2,595.56 km.- being undertaken by the Delta state government, with several of them already completed. Under Human Capital development, programmes like D-CARES , MORE Grant , MORE Biz-Up and WESAP are providing economic support, skills and opportunities to vulnerable groups, women , young people and persons with disabilities. Space will not permit us to dwell on the Delta State government ‘s intervention in Agriculture, civil service welfare, students support, Technical Education and healthcare.

For DESOPADEC, the Commission has been very successful in providing community roads and drainage , educational infrastructure, health facilities, civil and community centres , electricity and street lighting, flood prevention interventions, youth empowerment , skills and community development. DESOPADEC’S intervention in road infrastructure has a long record. Among its notable projects is the 8 kilometer Obi- Anyima road in Ika South. Others are the Ofagbe – Ibrede Road , DESOPADEC civil and community centres , classroom blocks at Abalagada, Egbokodo Itsekiri, Uzere , Ebedei and Oghara as well as Ogulagha modern school.
DESOPADEC has also supported education infrastructure including a student’s hostel at the Delta State University, Oleh campus and six three bedroom bungalows for visiting lecturers. The Commission has also provided accommodation infrastructure for the Nigeria Maritime University, Okerenkoko. The Agoloma cottage hospital in Patani is also one of the Commission ‘s documented projects .We can go on and on but space will not permit us.

Media practitioners should direct their energies into looking at DESOPADEC holistically: their achievements, challenges and offer advice rather than make sweeping allegations that are not evidence backed . DESOPADEC deserves commendation and not condemnation, constructive criticism and not destructive criticisms. Critics should allow DESOPADEC the space and stability to succeed. The Commission was created to address the development needs of oil bearing communities and its effectiveness should ultimately be judged by the projects it delivers and impact it makes on the people . Constructive criticism is welcome but constant political attacks , premature accusations and attempt to discredit the institution can distract from its core mandate.

Rather than looking for every opportunity to pull the Commission down , critics should scrutinize its programmes objectively, acknowledge genuine achievements and point out areas requiring improvement. The real victory is not for DESOPADEC as an institution; it is for the oil – producing communities whose development depends on it .

DESOPADEC as an interventionist organization should not be dragged into politics. Any journalist wishing to get facts should visit reliable information channels than manufacture spurious information and data that do not stand the test of veracity

For: DELTA FRESH VISION

Wilberforce Arinze
Ag Chairman

Sunny Omamadia
Secretary

Grace Akaighe
PRO