“Useless” Delta “Deve” Collection Prohibition Law On Front Burner At Urhobo Summit

It appears within one and half year, the “Delta State Public and Private Properties Protection Bill 2018 has become “useless” or a “dead on arrival” state law.

The law tailored to outlaw illegal and forceful entry into development sites in the state popularly known as “deve” in local parlance has become “unenforceable” for reasons yet to be established.

BIGPEN Online reports that stakeholders at the weekend expressed their concern over the functionality of the law at the 2^nd edition of Urhobo Economic and Investment Summit held at KFC event centre in Warri, Delta state.

The bill establishing the law was assented to by Governor Ifeanyi Okowa on 24th, August 2018 after year-long efforts to send it to the state assembly as Executive Bill after assumption of office in May 29, 2015.

The bill was given accelerated reading and passed for assent which was also done in record time.

Optimistic Okowa, probably thinking the bill would automatically put an end to the ugly era of extortion, molestation of properties developers in the state, is ‘dead wrong’ one year plus after signing the bill into law as the menace remained unabated in the state.

Okowa was quoted to have said that the law will stop youths from trespassing into property development sites in the state and make investment to thrive.

According to the governor, harassment of property developers by touts in the name of “deve” had chased away a lot of developers from the state.

He, however, was confident that with the signing into law of the bill prohibiting illegal and forceful entry into development sites, the state would witness speedy development.

“We will collaborate with the Delta State House of Assembly to ensure that laws are passed to impact positively on the lives of our people, I am glad that this bill to prohibit the forcefully entry into public and private properties has been passed into law as it will stop youths from trespassing into property development sites in the state and make investment to thrive”, Governor Okowa said.

But one year plus after this assertions from the governor and the law in place, the menace of ‘Deve” collecting touts have continued in the state unabated.

Nothing seemed to have changed.

The state Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice, Peter Mrakpor on Friday, voiced his frustration at the 2^nd edition of Urhobo Economic and Investment Summit held in Warri, commercial nerve centre of the state when the issue of ‘deve’ became a subject of discourse.

Mrakpor lamented that since the law came into existence no one has been arrested and prosecuted.

According to him, this is not because the law has finally arrested the menace but because enforcement has become a big challenge to the law enforcement agencies.

He said, there is no record of criminal harassment of properties developers for the police to move in because, according to him people are not willing to report to the police.

He however said that Delta central is worst in terms of the social vices.

Mrakpor asserted that investors are not willing to invest in Delta central because of the menace of youths who on daily basis extort, and harass properties developers, particularly within the Warri area.

He added that the law (Delta State Public and Private Properties Protection Law 2018) that ought to arrest the situation have not recorded any success as the state police command have not brought an offender to his acknowledge one year plus after it was enacted.

“As I am talking to you now, when investors comes to Delta state, the question we asked them is, where do you want to invest, Delta Central is nowhere, why because foundation N100,000, decking N100,000, roofing N100,000, window; and doors N50,000, sock away N5,000 and so forth and so on.

“So the question is where the future in Urhoboland is? Every morning, youths wake up all over Urhoboland collecting one ‘deve’ or the other. “I want to appeal because there is break down of morality and respect. No society can grow if there is no sense of moral, discipline and respect”.

Recall that the Minister for Transportation, Rotimi Ameachi who came to Uvwie believed to be the hotbed of ‘deve’ collecting youths voiced his displeasure few weeks ago.

He dropped a subtle warning and threat, to cancel dredging work at the Escravos bar which is part of the process to revamp the Warri Seaport following the menace of youths’ harassment of project workers in the state.

Amaechi, who expressed his vexation during the grand reception and empowerment programme held in honour of the Minister of State for Labour and Employment, Festus Keyamo (SAN) in Uvwie Kingdom, Delta State, said, “Warri sea port was not working. We gave a dredging contract, six months we are arguing, Amaechi said regrettably.

Continuing, he was quoted to have said, “We did a test run from Itakpe to Warri, but our young boys are not good. Lagos to Ibadan, nobody stopped us,  no village came out or harassed us, we are nearing completion. We will be out of there by April. But Itakpe to Warri, if I was not from the South South, I would have stopped, the project.”

Specifically, the minister while lamenting the menace of ‘deve’ collectors in Warri, where one of his rail projects is traversing, said several companies had left the oil city because of constant harassment by local youths.

His words, “I have warned them, if they don’t stop, we will pull out. Companies in Warri have all left. Imagine the number of people that they would have employed, contracts they would have given if those companies were still here. Now that they have all gone away, kidnapping has become the source of livelihood,” Amaechi lamented.

The minister outburst is coming despite the existence of “Delta State Public and Private Properties Protection Law 2018”.

Findings indicate that since the law was put in place, local youths still go about harassing and embarrassing developers in the state with a moribund law which ought to check their essences in place.