Former militant leader, Israel Akpodoro, has called on Governor Ifeanyi Okowa to account for the bailout funds given to Delta state
- Akpodoro, who disagreed with the governor over the diverted $10million, said he is constrained to believe the allegation because Delta is a corrupt state
- He called on EFCC to expedite action on the investigation and bring out the governor involved in the financial scandal
An Urhobo born former militant commander, Israel Akpodoro, has asked Governor Ifeanyi Okowa of Delta state to give step by step account of how the bailout fund given to the state was spent.
Akpodoro, who disagreed with the governor over his denial of the $10million which was alleged to have been diverted to an alleged mistress of the governor, said the bailout funds were given to state governors on trust from the federal government.
In an email to our correspondent, the former militant leader also insisted that the story made by the national dailies were half baked, saying it was wrong of the dailies to have hidden the name of the Niger Delta governor involved in the financial scandal.
Governor Ifeanyi Okowa
He said although the mention of the governor’s name is allegation, he said one is constrained to believe the report following the antecedents of members of the People’s Democratic Party who, according to him, are corrupt Nigerians.
Akpodoro said for the corrupt practices in the state, Delta would have been as developed as the New York City in the United States of America.
The state commissioner for information, Patrick Ukah and the Chief Press Secretary to the governor, Charles Aniagwu, have individually denied the allegation on the ground that the governor was kindhearted and cannot wire such huge fund out of the state.
They dismissed the allegation, saying it was an attempt to smear the image of the governor and spoil the good work he is doing in the state.
The information commissioner said his boss has been prudently utilizing the resources in the state, even as he expressed surprise at the mention of Okowa’s name in the financial mess.
“This can only be part of the unrelenting campaign of calumny and the ceaseless peddling of pernicious propaganda against the person and office of the Delta state governor.
Ibrahim Magu of EFCC, Israel Akpodoro and Governor Okowa
“For the record, the state government has severally in the past given account of how the bailout fund the state got from the federal government was used,” he said.
Also, Okowa’s chief press secretary, Charles Aniagwu, said $10million lost to a mistress in the United States is equivalent to N5billion.
He said: “How are you going to wire that kind of amount? And for what purpose?
“In Delta state today, we don’t have such kind of money. We are looking for money to pay salaries. The essence of that story is to distract us. It is empty. It does not make anything to us.”
Amidst the denials, Akpodoro is calling on the governor to explain to the people of the state what he did with the bailout funds.
Akpodoro, who is from Delta central, added that the state remains heavily indebted to civil servants including local government workers whom he said are paid less than half of their salaries.
He described as worse the current administration in terms of service delivery to the people of Delta state, noting that no government in the history of the state had owe salaries irrespective of the economic realities in their respective administrations.
He called on the Ibrahim Magu-led Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to expedite action on the investigation of the diverted $10million bailout funds so that those who are in trust of state resources would be mindful of their actions.
The All Progressives Congress (APC) in the state had also called on the EFCC to ignore Okowa's denials and institute a probe to ascertain the veracity of the allegation.
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