Deltans have vowed to resist the proposed privatization of the only government transport company Delta Line by Gov. Ifeanyi Okowa, rather he should call for the total probe and arrest of this five alleged looting musketeers( former General Manager,former Accountant, Former Auditor, O/C salary and Company Secretary ) that grounded the transport company to zero level. The state-owned transport company set up shortly after the state was created in 1991, has become a haven for looting and siphoning money with reckless abandon without check by the authorities of the state.
The massive looting of Delta Line by this five alleged musketeers should not be swept under the carpet, but should be thoroughly investigated and handed over to operatives of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, and those found culpable be prosecuted as part of measures to rid the Delta Line of corruption. It was on record that when Dr. Emmanuel Eweta Uduaghan came on board, he donated 185 Toyota Hiace buses and 35 Toyota Corolla cars (all brand new vehicles with full air-conditioners) to the management of Delta Line Transport Company, aimed at adding to the fleet they had earlier. And for his love for Deltans, the then governor warned the management of the state-owned transport company not to increase transport fare(s) even during the festive periods. This was the reason why he approved N40M monthly to the Delta Line as subsidy/ palliatives from January 2012 to April 2015 to ameliorate the sufferings of Deltans and other commuters who use Delta line as their transport company shortly before he left office on May 29, 2015. It is purely clear that the then governor meant well for Deltans but little did he knew that he opened looting bonanza for the accused five aforementioned looting musketeers.
According to reports, in the year 2012, the then governor released N529,261,440; N434,285,760 in year 2013; N361,904,800 in year 2014; N144,761,920 in year 2015; with a total sum of N1,470,213,920 within the four years stated above.
These amounts do not include the money generated by over 300 buses and cars within their fleet that plies the roads on daily basis. For instance, each bus loaded to Lagos from Asaba as at then at N2, 500 which was the official price at 15 persons per bus automatically generate N37, 500 per trip. When you deduct road expenses and fuel money issued to the driver, each bus generates nothing less than N20, 000 per trip, then multiplied by not less than 200 buses on the road daily and public opinions are asking; “where did these monies go to?”
“If the state government can subsidize for their running expenses, why can’t Delta Line Transport Company be the best in Nigeria and how come the past administration could not even pay salaries to its staff before His Excellency, Senator Ifeanyi Okowa sacked them”, our source under the condition of anonymous stated. It is shameful that the head office of Delta Line Transport Company in Asaba, Delta State is currently under seal by Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS) due to non-payment of accumulated unremitted taxes by the past administration which runs in multi millions of naira.
Grassroots Publishers Online further investigation gathered that the gross salary of the company stood at N26M monthly with a net salary of N23.6M. “Why couldn’t the transport company pay its workers comfortably without owing anyone?” Our source queried.
“Instead of the company’s management remitting these monies to the company’s account as required by law, the five suspected musketeers allegedly smiled to their respective banks with public funds to the detriment of the original purpose for establishing the transport company”, it was said.
Unfaultable source within the office of the Delta State Government confided to us that between January and April 2012, Delta Transport Service Ltd, allegedly received over N1.5B as palliative from the Delta state government, but sadly, according to our discovery, the company did not buy a single vehicle to add to their depreciating fleet from that cash flow. Rather the suspected evil cabals were busy enriching themselves and accumulating more fictitious debt owed to their private companies and cronies.
It was on record that immediately Gov. Okowa was sworn in as the Executive governor of Delta State, the Labour Union of the company Delta Line (AUCPTRE), sought for the governor’s intervention on 14th December 2015 when the looting became unbearable for Deltans. His Excellency, the Governor was furious after the report and requested for the names of the suspected Deboras who held the transport service hostage.
The Governor in his known zero corruption character then, allegedly ordered that the names of the ‘locusts’ that ate dip the supposed resources accrued to the state government should be forwarded to the Secretary to the Delta State government, Hon Ovie Festus Agas and also instructed that they should be sacked with immediate effect. But Deltans were surprised that the Accountant, who is supposed to be the engine room of the alleged cabals and O/C salary were not sacked. The question on the lips of Deltans is why was the former Accountant and O/C salary names removed from the Delta Line Labour Union corrupt list submitted to the governor? And even when the General Manager and two others were pronounced sacked by the state government, Deltans were worried that the government of Dr Ifeanyi Okowa cannot set up any probe commission or hand over the sacked General Manager and others to EFCC for proper investigation and recovery of Deltans looted funds; rather these men are working freely on the street after putting Deltans in pains. Why are looters in this state always getting off the hook? Is Delta State a free heaven for looters. Questions! Questions!! Questions!!!
BY: GRASSROOTS PUBLISHERS