Delta Speaker, Oborevwori, Other Lawmakers In Another N400million US ‘Jamboree’ Training Vacation

The Speaker of the Delta House of Assembly, Rt. Hon Sheriff Oborevwori has led other principal and non-principal members of the House to another  ‘jamboree’ training in the United States of America of which the sum of N400million was released by Governor Ifeanyi Okowa of Delta State, BigPen Online can report.

Dependable source told BigPen Online that despite claims of paucity of funds to met up his electioneering campaigns, Governor Okowa reportedly approved the release of N400million to the lawmakers who have been globetrotting countries of their choice.

Our source revealed that the House  Speaker, Oborevwori and members representing Udu Constituency, Hon Ovie Jitobor’s first point of gallivanting was Paris while other first destination was Dubai, and the USA where the supposed trainings was scheduled.

The source said that the foreign training was just an empowerment of the lawmakers by Okowa to enable them fund their holidaying saying that it will not have any impact on their legislative business or people they represent.

A source from the Assembly who confided in one of our reporters said: “The real purpose of the USA training is for the lawmakers to go on vacation but knowing that it will cause backlashes among Deltans; Sheriff cunningly turned it to a training visit…but some went to Dubai, Paris while others went straight to the US.

“The money for the trip which is over N400 million was approved by Governor Okowa because when he approached them to approve the sum of N1 billion loan from Fidelity Bank to carry out some projects, the lawmakers demand that he must in turn approve money for them for their planned trip.

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“And you know that the House also approved about N13. 6billion for the governor to build new state Secretariat so the quick approval granted the governor were like “blackmail” by the principal officers of the House that if we approve the loan for you (governor) you have to also approve money for our holidaying, and of course Okowa had no choice but to do it”, the source said.

Meanwhile, reactions have continued to trail the trip by the lawmakers who recently undergo similar local training in the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja some few weeks ago.

However, reacting to the development, a public affairs analyst, Harrison Aletile Ejueyitsi who made a post on his Facebook wall about the trip by the lawmakers, said; “Delta Lawmakers are currently in a tour of the USA while Deltans battle with failing infrastructures back at home.

“#Shame on you guys. The absence of quality legislation from these merry go round legislators can also be said to be responsible for the dearth of basic infrastructures in Delta state”, Ejueyitsi.

BigPen Online recalls that some time ago in 2015, during the reign of Mr Monday Igbuya as Speaker, Governor Okowa allegedly approved the sum of N750million to members of the State House of Assembly for a leadership training in the United State Of America (USA).

The lawmakers, sources revealed “shared the money among themselves as empowerment fund from the governor to the detriment of taxpayers”.

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Governor Okowa later came out to deny the allegations which attracted wide condemnation on backdrop of public claims of dwindling federal allocations accruing to the state.

Recall that a similar trip, also described as ‘kangaroo training’ by lawmakers in Delta State which reportedly cost the state government about N1. 2billion during former governor, Dr Emmanuel Uduaghan administration took place in 2013 at Goldman School of Public Policy, University of California, San Francisco, USA when erstwhile Speaker, Rt. Hon Victor Ochei held sway at the House.

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