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The Government of Delta State and politicians of the ruling political party have been called upon to play down politics and engage in actual governance for which they were elected.

This was the consensus of opinion by attendees at a programme organized by Budgit Foundation held at Elomas Hotel, DBS Road, Asaba. The event has as its theme: Focused Group Discussion on Economic Diversification and Fiscal Sustainability of Delta State.

Leading the discussion, Mr. Oluwatosin Iseniyi, Research and policy analyst of Budgit Foundation said research has so far shown  that Delta State is overtly dependent on the Federal  Government through the FAAC allocation.  He said what this means is that should there be fall in oil revenue, Delta State will lose some revenue because it does not have investment to fall back on.

While pointing out that Delta State  although in the state’s six years’ trend of IGR recorded an improvement, Mr. Iseniyi said that Delta State is struggling. “In overall fiscal ranking across the 36 states. Delta State is ranked 14 in the federation, while Edo State is doing well at sixth position,” the research and policy analyst said.

Besides. Iseniyi also disclosed that research carried out by Budgit Foundation showed that Delta State is the most indebted state in the federation, but asked: “Where is Delta State investment?”

What it means is that Delta State without investment anywhere will earn no return on investment.

While the attendees at the event tried to point out that the state has an understanding with Agofure and God is Good Motors, but they could not say whether the state gets any returns from the partnerships.

The attendees while proffering the cause of the lapses on the part of the state government, they blamed it all on the syndrome of politics. “All that we know in Delta State is politics, politics, politics; not how to develop the state,” a speaker said.

Other perceptions indicate that the state governments never carry stakeholders along during policy conception and implementation. “Farmers are not carried along and so they don’t know what government has for them,” a farmer said

She pointed out that farmers just hear that fertilizers are to be distributed, yet it doesn’t get to the real farmers, as they end up in the hands of politicians who do whatever they like with it.

A major source of lamentation from the attendees, who are mainly Deltans is the terrible problem of lack of electricity. They situation, according to the participants has done untold hardship to business and the general state of wellbeing of the people of the state. They expressed total disgust with the BEDC operation in the state.

“Delta State is in a quagmire”, a participant said, adding that the only thriving venture in Delta State is politics. While all the participants agreed with the speaker’s perception that people look up to political masters in the state as it is the most lucrative venture in the state, thus leading to numerous political appointees, which they claim eats into the funds of the government with most appointees not have job specifications and offices; just job for loyalists.

A participant after lamenting the terrible state of governance in the state said: “The leadership of the state is the one holding business development back in Delta State.”

A participant who identified himself as a youth leader told the stunned audience that Ukala Okute in Aniocha South Local Government Area of Delta State last saw government presence 24 years ago. “This was during the tenure of Governor James Ivorian when the road to the community was tarred,” he said.

The youth leader said that the community which is heavy on food production, but that the people are suffering because of the terrible extent of the dilapidated roads that now makes it difficult for them to come to the community to transport food and other farm produce.

The participants also spoke about the problem that market traders are forced to bear; the issue of all manner of levies imposed on them by government officials. Also following suit is the problem of levies imposed in schools as children are forced to bring all manner of levies imposed on them by the school authorities in state government owned schools.

A woman, who identified herself as leader of traders in the market said: “There’s the problem of levies imposed on pupils in schools. Market people in Asaba are suffering. Traders are suffering because of multiple taxation. It  is telling so much on traders in the market,” she lamented.

The Budgit Foundation programme participants were all agreed that corruption has become a big industry in Delta State and that a major bane is the politicization of everything in the state