James Ibori
The House of Representatives on Wednesday urged the Federal Government to refund to Delta State, the recovered loot of £4.2 million by the former governor of the state, Chief James Ibori.
The House also asked the Federal Government to stop forthwith further appropriation and disbursement of the recovered loot pending the final determination of its investigation.
The British government had on Tuesday unveiled plans to return the £4.2 million (about N2.2 billion) funds to Nigeria, barely nine months after a UK Court convicted former Delta State governor, Ibori.
The House passed the resolution sequel to the adoption of a motion jointly sponsored by the Delta State caucus lawmakers led by the Minority Leader, Honourable Ndudi Elumelu, Honourable Victor Nwokolo, Honourable Nicholas Mutu, Honourable Leo Ogor, Honourable Ossai Ossai, Honourable Julius Pondi, Honourable Ben Rollands Igbakpa, Honourable Efe Afe, Honourable Thomas Ereyitomi and Honourable Francis Waive, who alleged that the total sum of £4.2 million was looted by the former governor.
In his lead debate, Elumelu observed that the “sum of £4.2 million being proceeds of looted funds recovered from James Ibori which is being transferred to the coffers of the Federal Government for appropriation without recourse to the Delta State government and or parliament in two weeks’ time.
“The House is aware that the said recovered looted funds belongs to the good people of Delta State and as such ought to be refunded to the coffers of the Delta State government for developmental purposes.
“The House is further aware that assets seized by EFCC from states were returned to such states. i.e. Bayelsa and Abia State, etc.
“The House is worried that if the Federal Government is allowed to appropriate the funds without recourse to the Delta State government, the people of Delta State will be shortchanged/deprived of their legitimate resources to improve on the economy of the state as well as provide the requisite infrastructural development for their benefit.
“The House is further worried that from all indications and information to Delta State indicates that the actual money is £6.2 million and Federal Government should ensure that the total of £6.2 million is credited, not £4.2 million as stated.
“The House believes that unless it halts immediately the Federal Government from further dealing/tampering with the said fund, the recovered loot may not be accounted for and or have any direct bearing or benefit to the people of Delta State (who are being deprived of the fund) in terms of infrastructures or people oriented projects,” he stressed.
To this end, the House urged the Federal Government of Nigeria through the Federal Ministry of Finance to stop forthwith further appropriation/and or disbursement of recovered loot of 4.2 million pounds pending the final determination of the matter by the House.
The House also requested the Federal Ministry of Finance and the Attorney General of Federation to furnish the House with all particulars relating to the recovered money.
To this end, the House directed the joint committees on Finance, Justice and Loans and recovered funds to investigate this matter and revert to the House within two weeks.
Similarly, Human rights lawyer, Femi Falana SAN, has said that the 4.2 million pounds loot recovered from former Delta State governor James Ibori, should be returned to the state government. Falana said this on Wednesday while speaking on a Channels TV programme.
According to him, there was already precedence to the case on the ground, citing previous cases where looted funds by Governors Joshua Dariye and Diepreye Alamieyeseigha, were returned to the state governments of Plateau and Bayelsa, respectively.”
Falana commended the Federal Government for pursuing the recovery of the loot in collaboration with the London Metropolitan Police.”
He, however, stated that the fund should be returned to the source. Buttressing his point, he noted that the said fund was originally a statutory allocation to the Delta State government during the tenure of Ibori.
He said that since the money left the coffers of the Delta State government, the money should be returned to the Delta State government.
The senior advocate of Nigeria noted that under the law when proceeds of corrupt crime are recovered, the funds in question are returned to the victims. In this case, he said, the victims are the people of Delta State.
Falana said the people of Delta State have the responsibility of ensuring that the money, if returned to the state, is not re-looted. He added that if the Federal Government does not return the loot to Delta State, “the Federal Government should be challenged.”
Meanwhile, the Ijaw Youth Council (IYC) worldwide has condemned the move by the Federal Government to divert the £4.2m Ibori loot belonging to Delta State to fund projects outside of the Niger Delta region.
The group described the move as “unacceptable and unsavoury,” noting that it is a “flagrant aberration by President Muhammadu Buhari to unclothe Peter to clothe Paul,” which is “disdainful and repugnant.”
National Secretary of IYC, Frank Pukon, in a statement made available to journalists on Wednesday, opined that the recovered loot should rather be channelled to build infrastructure in Delta State where Ibori held sway as governor.
“Monies looted by former Delta State governor are meant for Deltans, hence, these monies be given to Delta State government to build an infrastructure for Deltans, not for the Lagos-Ibadan expressway, second Niger Bridge and Abuja to Kano expressway as disclosed by the President through Mr Malami,” he asserted.
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