Mixed reactions have continued to trail the Delta State House of Assembly’s alleged N1.2 billion leadership training programme currently taking place at the Goldman School of Public Policy, University of California, San Francisco, USA.
The two-week training programme, it was learnt, ends today.
The 29 members of the House as well as Emma Okoro, the pioneer Speaker of the House, who is now Senior Adviser to Governor Emmanuel Uduaghan on Legislative Matters, along with directors and aides to key officers of the House led by the current Speaker, Rt Hon Victor Ochei, are said to have left the shores of the country two weeks ago for what has been described by critics as a jamboree.
The size of the Speaker’s entourage, which our correspondent learnt, has about 40 persons, is already generating ripples among Deltans, who described the “training” as a waste of public funds that has no direct positive impact on Deltans, questioning the rationale behind elected officials funding such training from the public purse.
But the speaker, who spoke on phone from the United States, explained that the training of members of the 5th Assembly in California “is to prepare them further for the challenges ahead.
“The training programme is a must for all members of the House as capacity building is a priority to the leadership of the 5th Assembly.”
He explained that choice of the School of Public Policy, was informed by the institution’s track record in capacity building training, adding that certificates would be issued to participants at the end of the programme today.
A chieftain of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the state, who spoke with our correspondent, condemned the training, describing it as a “kangaroo training” for the purpose of looting public funds.
“We learnt here that the training programme is focusing on the power of legislation in sustainable development of society, leadership and public management, social media and public policy, public and private partnership, innovation and sustainable development, Californian political system, education as well as the place of agriculture in human development. Our question is that this is not the first time they are embarking on such frivolous trips abroad; and what has been the gains and impact on the people?
“Has this stopped them from being contractors, has this stopped them from being corrupt and fraudulent? The answer is no,” he declared.
A House of Assembly staff, who spoke under condition of anonymity, described the act of the lawmakers as unfortunate, saying that the lawmakers are among the many problems facing the state right from the beginning, in terms of corruption and amassing wealth for themselves.
“Ask them what has been their contribution to the growth of the state and democracy, apart from their usual votes of confidence on the state governor so that ‘Ghana must go’ bags will keep on coming. Just look at the list of the persons that went, what has the training got to do with directors, Uduaghan’s aides, and aides of the speaker, if not to waste and loot public funds?”
One of the lawmakers participating in the training, who pleaded that his name should not be mentioned, confided in our correspondent that the whole exercise is nothing but fraud.
“Honestly speaking, this training is a waste of funds as far as I am concerned because it will not have any impact on our people. It will not change our way of life, rather it is just to siphon public funds all in the name of training abroad.
“I was telling a colleague of mine that rather than wasting taxpayers’ money, why not we hold this training even in Calabar or any other place in Nigeria, and the purpose will still be achieved. For over two weeks we arrived here, if I tell you how much taxpayers’ money that has gone, you will be shocked. “Are you talking about the bills for our accommodation alone at the Hotel Shattuck, Berkeley?” he queried.
“ What about the feeding, drinking, hanging out with all these Oyibo girls, what about the money for our instructors taking us the programme?”
But when asked to give the total figure expended so far in the programme, he declined but simply said “several millions of Naira my brother”.
Reacting to the development, a socio-political pressure group, Emede Political Focus Forum (EPFF), Isoko South Local Government Area of Delta State, described the lawmakers as “mere rubber stamp”, who are just amassing wealth at the detriment of the people.
In a press statement, the Founder/Secretary General of the group, Comrade Geoffrey Osiama, expressed sadness and disappointment, describing the trip as “a waste of resources” and a way of undermining such institutions as the Lagos Business School, Nigeria Institute of Policy and Strategic Studies in Jos, and the Centre for Development Studies within the country which can offer capacity building training on Governance and Leadership.
“The lawmakers should realise that with this recent accord with University of California, they have passed a vote of no confidence in their own universities, which some of them are currently attending and some graduated from as well as the numerous federal and private universities in this country.”