There is a crisis in Delta State Oil Producing Areas Development Commission (DESOPADEC) with allegations of nepotism, highhandedness and poor governance issues against its executive management team led by Mr Festus Ochonogor.

The 14 member board, inaugurated by the immediate past governor, Dr Ifeanyi Okowa in the twilight of his tenure, has Mr John Nani as Chairman, and Mr Festus Ochonogor as Managing Director of the state interventionist agency.

While Efele Nicholas,Talib Tebite, Favour Izoukomor and Oghenekome Okpobor are Executive Directors.

Some board members allege due process was bypassed by the Managing Director Mr. Festus Ochonogor in the appointment of Heads of Department. They said the appointments were done without ratification by the board.

A source, who spoke on condition of anonymity, warned that the next board meeting may be stormy, adding that aggrieved members are calling for the appointments to be rescinded.

“The next Board meeting of DESOPADEC might run into stormy waters as the executive management appointed HODs without a board resolution. The due process ought to be that the Commissioner and the Executive Directors nominate candidates for HOD positions, which are forwarded to the Board for ratification or approval and the Board will direct the Managing Director to post the new HODs. But for the newly posted HODs due process was disregarded causing friction among the Board members who claimed that they were not aware of any meeting where it was deliberated upon.”

The Nation gathered that during the 2023 governorship election all HoDs were mandated to canvass for votes for the ruling People’s Democratic Party but were replaced four months into their tenures.

It was learnt that the HoD (Legal Department) was removed from office on grounds that two staff members, who were on Grade level 16, were senior to him in the department.

Investigation by our reporter further revealed that the present board appointed a new HoD (Administration) on Grade level 14 despite the presence of two other officers on Grade level 16 in the department.

The Nation further learnt that the executive management team threatened to post any staff to Area offices if any form of protest arises over the recent postings.

The source said the executive management team downplayed the posting insisting they were “routine.”

It was also learnt that some aggrieved board members are awaiting the Board chairman to convene a meeting where they will vent their anger on the executive management for running the Commission without the inputs of the entire board, especially where a board resolution is required to authenticate a policy.

Reacting, Mr Festus Ochonogor admitted that there were lapses in the administrative process of the agency which he attributed to the outgone management team.

He said, “It is true that the management style during the last administration of the agency is zero. The issue arose in the last three years when the last management team ran the agency as a sole administratorship. The HoD’s case is correct. The administrative Process is zero because one or two persons took decisions for the entire board. These are the issues we are trying to resolve.” (The Nation)

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