Okowa: I Didn’t Betray Southern Nigeria, I’m Committed Party Man

Immediate past governor of Delta State, Dr. Ifeanyi Okowa, yesterday, reiterated that he didn’t betray Southern presidency by accepting to be Alhaji Atiku Abubakar’s running mate. 

He said his party, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) agreed to throw its ticket open, because it was in the opposition to enable the party present a formidable candidate that could match the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) candidate. 

Okowa, who spoke through his Media Adviser, Mr. Olisa Ifeajika at a news conference in Asaba, said once a Northerner emerged as the party’s candidate at a very transparent presidential primary election, he was duty bound by law to pick his running mate from the South. 

The former governor, who was responding to allegations raised by elder statesman, Chief Edwin Clark, during an interview on ARISE NEWS Channel on Wednesday, said as a member of a political party, he was duty bound to adhere to the party’s decisions. 

“First, let me put it on record that Senator Okowa, has immense respect for Chief Edwin Clark, our revered father, elder statesman, respected Deltan and a very loud voice in the country. So, whatever he says is important but we are worried that the issues that have been addressed over and over are still being revisited by our father, Chief Clark. 

“Because it is coming from him, otherwise we would have said let it slide but we have to respond to him because of who he is,” he added. 

On accusations of borrowing N150billion and diverting state government monies to fund Atiku Abubakar’s presidential campaign, Okowa said the allegations were spurious and unfounded, adding that all financial records during his tenure were transparent and accountable. 

He said all funds that accrued to the state were deployed to develop the state with numerous projects and human capital development across the state. 

“You are all aware of the N150 billion loan as they called it and we have, for the umpteenth time, said money is not a loan but a bridging finance and it remained so. 

“It took the ingenuity of Commissioners for Finance in oil producing states in the Niger Delta led by our own former Commissioner for Finance, Chief Fidelis Tilije, to unearth the discrepancies. What was owed Delta was N240 billion, which the federal government agreed to pay on four quarterly instalment for five years. 

“We are aware that some states including Rivers, discounted and collected all their monies and started spending but because Okowa believes in rule of law, due process and diligence, he went to the House of Assembly to get approval to use part of the funds for some critical projects from the quarterly installment refunds. 

“At a media briefing shortly before he left office, Okowa told the press that only N91bn was accessed from the N100 billion bridging finance request. It is, therefore, erroneous to assume that Okowa collected N150bn loan,” Ifeajika said.