Again, Delta Asks FG to Return £4.2m Recovered Loot

Okowa dissolves cabinet

Alex Enumah in Abuja and Omon-Julius Onabu in Asaba

The Delta State government yesterday restated its plea to the federal government to return to the state the £4.2 million first tranche recovered from the associates of a former governor of the state, Chief James Ibori.

The state was reacting to a confirmation yesterday by the Attorney-General of the Federation (AGF) and Minister of Justice, Mr. Abubakar Malami (SAN), that the federal government was in receipt of the £4,214,017.66 from the United Kingdom (UK).

The recovered loot came after about two months the federal government and its UK counterpart announced that modalities have been perfected for the return of the funds to Nigeria.

The money, according to a statement by Dr. Umar Gwandu, media aide to Malami, “has been credited into the designated federal government account with naira equivalent value of the amount as of May 10, 2021.”

Malami stated that the development was a demonstration of the recognition of Nigeria’s transparency in the deployment of recovered loot to fund public projects.

The Delta State Government and the people have been clamouring that the funds be returned to the state since it was stolen from there; or alternatively, spent on projects in Delta State.

The federal government on the other hand during the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the United Kingdom on March 9, had announced that the money would be spent on three priority projects: Second Niger Bridge project, Lagos Ibadan expressway and the Abuja-Kano expressway.

Meanwhile, the Delta State Government, while welcoming the return of the money, said since the money was illegally taken out of the state’s treasury, it should be returned to the state.

The state Governor, Senator Ifeanyi Okowa, also yesterday dissolved the Delta State Executive Council (EXCO) and directed the Secretary to State Government (SSG), all commissioners and the governor’s aides to surrender all vital government documents and property to their respective permanent secretaries in the ministries, departments and agencies.

The outgoing state Commissioner for Information, Mr. Charles Aniagwu, reiterated the position of the state government on the just repatriated funds while briefing journalists on resolutions and approvals at the state Exco meeting yesterday before its dissolution.

Aniagwu said: “You’ll recall that we said those who are repatriating the funds made it very clear as to the source of the funds they were repatriating. We also made it clear to you that we have continued to engage the federal government based on the principles of dialogue; and, that the federal government has shown a lot of good faith in listening to the issues we have raised.

“So, let’s leave it at that as it’s not something we deal with in the media. At the end of the day, we’ll let you know how much we have got, but we’re convinced that that the federal government, being a good father, will remain just in dealing with this particular issue.”

However, speaking on the dissolution of the executive committee by the governor, Aniagwu, who was flanked by the former Chief Press secretary to the governor, Mr. Olisa Ifeajika, said the decision had nothing to do with the 2023 governorship election.

He stated that the dissolution would offer Okowa an ample chance “to inject new blood into the Exco” towards the realisation of the administration’s development agenda called ‘Greater Delta’.

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