$10m Scam: Delta APC urges EFCC to probe Okowa’s culpability

By Onitsha Shedrack,  ———- Jan. 30^th, 2017———————-

 

The All Progressives Congress, Delta State chapter, has called on the nation’s anti-corruption agencies to investigate the alleged involvement of the Delta State governor, Dr. Ifeanyi Okowa in the alleged diversion by one of the South-South governors of the sum of $10m from the bailout funds released by the Federal Government.

 

The APC in Delta, in a press release signed by its Acting Publicity Secretary, Engr. Leonard Obibi stated that it become imperative for the Economic and Financial Crime Commission, EFCC to take up the investigation of the allegation following online reports that linked the scam to the Delta State governor.

 

According to the statement, “Delta State APC received with shock the news from various media organizations (including The Nation and Vanguard) concerning an alleged diversion by one of the South-South governors of the sum of $10m from the bailout funds released by the Federal Government which has been hijacked by his America-based mistress.

 

The party tasked Governor Okowa to come out in the open to clear his name, if he has nothing to do with the alleged $10m scam in order to redeem the battered image of state, which of recent has assumed notoriety when it comes to official corruption and looting of public funds.

 

Engr. Obibi added that the party have to react when; “online reports and social media channels have pointedly revealed that Governor Ifeanyi Arthur Okowa of Delta State is the culprit in this hideous matter; and that it is Governor Okowa that commissioned and connived with his mistress, who is an actress that hails from the Ika-speaking area of Delta State and based in Texas U.S.A., to launder the $10m into slush accounts in order to avoid detection by security agencies.

 

“This is the reason why President Buhari directed that the bailout funds and the London-Paris Club loan refunds to all states be monitored, as these monies are principally meant to relieve the burden of outstanding debt to workers and pensioners.

 

According to him; “the essence of the investigation is to unravel this mystery and possibly recover the funds.

 

He added that: “We hope that it is not true that the Delta State Governor, Ifeanyi Arthur Okowa is the one involved; but, if it is established that he is implicated, then it is most cruel, manipulative and disgraceful for Governor Okowa to debase himself so callously, and to have acted in a manner that is so ‘criminal’ and morally unjust.”

 

“We implore EFCC to dig deeper with this investigation and uncover other possible covert misappropriation by Governor Okowa who has still not responded to a recent accusation by Sahara Reporters that he, allegedly, has misappropriated a colossal sum of N48.6b from the statutory allocation due to Delta State Oil Producing Areas Development Commission (DESOPADEC), being half of the total 13% derivation funds that accrued to Delta State from May 2015 to November 2016, which has left the major oil-producing areas without any meaningful development since the advent of his administration.

 

“It is obvious to Deltans that under Governor Okowa’s PDP-led government and indeed, all previous PDP-led administrations, Delta State has nosedived in all ramifications: economically, educationally and in the quality of its infrastructure, leaving the state impoverished and left behind on several development indices.

 

“Even Delta State government workers and aged pensioners who have long been weeping and wailing over non-payment of their salaries and pensions have not been spared; and they have been protesting incessantly for release of their salaries and pensions.

 

“In the midst of such extreme insensitivity to the plight of Deltans, it is awful and disgusting to be reminded of the looting of Delta State treasury which cabals in previous PDP-led administrations visited upon the innocent people of Delta State. We now have every cause to worry that the looting of Delta State treasury has become another recurring decimal with this Okowa PDP-led government.

 

“Given the gravity of the allegations, we call on Governor Okowa to step into the open and clear the air on this scandalous fleecing of the wealth of Deltans, including the reported misappropriation of N48.6billion DESOPADEC funds.

 

“We, APC Delta State, roundly condemn this damnable fraud on the people of Delta State, and demand that the EFCC does everything to bring the culprits to book immediately. Deltans are eager and waiting. Nigeria is waiting. He added.