What could have become a booming ceramics industry hub in Delta State has now been reduced to a tragic case study resulting from extortion and the failure of the government to protect investors and private developers in oil-rich State.
The story of how “Deve”, an illegal levy system already proscribed by the state, masked as development charges, chased away a multimillion-naira ceramics project from the city of Ughelli in Delta State, where the raw material needed for production lies in abundance.
The Director General Conference for Human Rights Actualisation and a legal practitioner, Mr. Omes Ogedegbe Esq, exposed the depth of “deve” collection in Delta while appearing on the maiden edition of TenAnglesTV Podcast premiered on Monday.
TenAngles podcast is an online broadcast channel that interrogates the news and the current happenings in Nigeria with fresh episodes streaming every Monday by 6:30pm on Youtube and other social media platforms @tenanglestv.
The revelation has once again shed a searchlight on the Delta State Public and Private Properties Protection Law, otherwise known as “Anti-Deve Law” enacted under the administration of former Governor Ifeanyi Okowa to checkmate extortions by youths and communities across the state.
Incidentally, the current Delta governor, Rt. Hon. Sheriff Oborevwori, was the then Speaker of the Delta State House of Assembly when the law was passed and given assent. Oborevwori’s government has remained silent on the law despite outcry from developers over the activities of these extortionists under his watch.
Ogedegbe recounted how the ceramics company, originally planning to site its plant in Ughelli due to its rich silica deposits, was forced to abandon the idea entirely due to repeated and illegal demands from local “Deve” collectors and moved to establish production site in Lagos.
“They brought their plants to Ughelli, but the harassment was unbearable,” Ogedegbe revealed. Adding, he said, “The demand for Deve drove them away. Today, that same silica sand is being moved to Lagos where the plant has been relocated, robbing Delta of jobs and revenue.”
The activist accused local government chairmen in the state of circumventing the law by creating extortionist groups via the guise of revenue committee who harass and intimidate builders and investors in the state.
“These council chairmen use by-laws to create committees that go around sites under the guise of revenue collection,” Ogedegbe stated.
“But there is no actual revenue. What we have is a reward system for political thugs. These are men who snatched ballot boxes during elections; now they are being rewarded with power and a mandate to extort”, he further added.
Ogedegbe stated, “The law talks about unlawful entry or forceful entry into a site for the purpose of making demands. This is what has been proscribed by the law. So, what the law intends to achieve is being underscored by local government chairmen. What they now do is to set up local government committees.
“These committees are created through by-law towards revenue drive, but what we have realised is that there’s no revenue, rather a settlement ground for their political bulldogs. Sad to say, what’s intended to be achieved by the Delta State Public and Private Protection Law is being discredited by the various local government chairmen.
“We now have committees on foundation, iron and steel, aluminium, tiles, roofing and on painting. When they come to the site, they do not follow any known legal procedure. What’s expected of the law is that you serve a demand on the developer.
“When you buy land in Delta Sate and prepare to dig your foundation, you need a doctor and an ambulance on standby. That’s how dangerous it’s become. The government is watching this happen.”
According to Ogedegbe, when he brought the Ughelli ceramics issue to the Delta State Commissioner for Environment, the reply was dismissive: “The government has no money to bring investors. Any investor that wants to come should just come.”
To Ogedegbe, this statement reveals a deep misunderstanding of the real problem. “We’re not asking the government to fund businesses,” he said. “We’re asking for an enabling environment—security, rule of law, and enforcement.”
“The law was enacted due to public outcry. But no structure was put in place for implementation. What Delta needs is an enforcement agency—a hotline developers can call when being harassed, and officers with authority to prosecute violators.”
Ogedegbe insists that no developer in Delta today escapes the grip of Deve—from foundation to roofing, everyone pays, lamenting that, “Even with an approved building plan, thugs will show up asking for a permit from the local government. It’s like having a driver’s license and being asked for a ‘driving permit.’ It’s absurd.”
“If Governor Sheriff Oborevwori truly wants to change the narrative, he must stop being passive. The political class must stop empowering thugs and start empowering the law,” Ogedegbe added.
