Members of the Delta State Oil Producing Areas Development Commission (DESOPADEC) Indigenous Contractors Forum have threatened protest over failure of the commission to pay for contracts executed and review of existing ones due to high cost of materials.

Chairman of the Forum, Engr. Ogie Samson Oritsebemigho, in a statement issued yesterday, said the members resolved to embark on a protest to the commission?s office within 14 days following refusal to attend to some of their grievances after several peaceful approach to resolve them.

He disclosed that the protest, which will come up on January 24, has become a last resort to draw the attention of the Board and management of DESOPADEC as well as the Delta State Governor, Hon. Sheriff Oborevwori to the plight of the indigenous contractors in the state.

Ogie, in the statement titled ?Indigenous Contractors Seek Justice/Give Notice for Peaceful Protest Within 14-Days to Commence January 24th, 2025? lamented the plight of members of the forum and demanded urgent action by the board of the interventionist agency.

?DESOPADEC indigenous Contractors Forum is giving a notice for protest at the DESOPADEC Head Office come 24th, January 2024. This came out of necessity, having tried all peaceful strategies to ensure adequate payment and revaluation of existing contracts due to the high cost of materials to execute contracts?, the statement read.

Ogie recalled that several meetings were held when Governor Oborevwori and present Board of DESOPADEC came onboard, regarding the challenges that needed to be addressed.

?The agreement was that the Executives of DESOPADEC indigenous contractors forum should manage the system in order to avoid chaos and that after the promised three months, contractors will be addressed as promised by His Excellency, Rt. Hon. Sheriff Oborevwori.?

?We did everything we could to ensure the Governor and Board of DESOPADEC succeed but their refusal to heed the agreement is now affecting the health, well-being of our members because of accrued loan interests, bad debt and bankruptcy in businesses,? he said.

Ogie regretted that all letters written to the Board of DESOPADEC, the Governor and other appropriate offices detailing the plight of indigenous contractors were untreated hence the resort to peaceful protest to avoid the worst economic situation in ?our oil reach communities in Delta State.

Secretary of DESOPADEC Indigenous Contractors Forum, Prince Charles Ebigbagha noted that the interventionist agency started on a good note with contractors mobilised, properly paid for work done and staff given 13 months payment while royal father?s from the oil rich communities were taken care of so that indigenes from the oil rich communities could enjoy the dividends given to them by God but wonder what now went wrong.

?We want to know if the publication from the presidency about the 13 per cent derivation funds disbursed to the state so far is fake. We want to know if what the board is telling us is that it is the Governor, His Excellency Rt. Hon. Sheriff Oborevwori is the one punishing indigenous contractors, or is it the management of the DESOPADEC that is the issue.?

A member of the forum, Christopher Evwarhono urged members and other contractors to turn out enmass for the peaceful protest as scheduled and pleaded for an urgent and friendly intervention by Governor Sheriff Oborevwori before the stipulated time.

He maintained that the intention of the proposed protest is not to cause chaos but to draw the attention of the relevant authorities to their plight. (THISDAY)

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