NOW THAT THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT HAS RETURNED £4.2 MILLION IBORI’S LOOT TO DELTA STATE. WHAT NEXT?
May 26, 2021 | News
With regards to reports that the Accountant General of the Federation, Ahmed Idris, recently said the £4.2 million Ibori loot recently received from the United Kingdom government has been given to Delta State,
-By Zik Gbemre
NOW THAT THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT HAS RETURNED £4.2 MILLION IBORI’S LOOT TO DELTA STATE. WHAT NEXT?
It is imperative for the Governor Okowa-led Delta State Government to enlighten Deltans of what their plans are as regard the said loot…
The Osubi-Warri Airstrip Expansion/Upgrade Project should be amongst the top priority projects that the Delta State Government should use the received loot to execute… Deltans should also be informed of the Other projects planned by the Government…
The said spending of the recovered Ibori loot should be Transparently done, and every dime accounted for by the Delta State Government without any involvement/link to Ibori’s group(s) and loyalists…
With regards to reports that the Accountant General of the Federation, Ahmed Idris, recently said the £4.2 million Ibori loot recently received from the United Kingdom government has been given to Delta State, I believe the question that should be on everyone’s lips is, now that the said Ibori loot, which was aided by the then Commissioner of Finance David Edevbie, Ighoyota Amori and Others, has been released to the Delta State Government, what next? What is the response of the Delta State Government? How will the said received loot be utilized? And for what specific projects will it be used for?
Let us recall that the recovered loot from the former Delta State governor and ex-convict Ibori, has been a subject of varying controversies since its return from the United Kingdom. Nigeria’s Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami, said in a statement by his spokesman, Dr Umar Jibrilu Gwandu, that a total of £4,214,017.66 of the loot associated with the family members of Ibori has been received. Malami initially said the refunded money will be used to execute some ongoing government projects in the country. But I was one of the few Nigerians, including opinion leaders and civil societies who countered the Federal Government’s decision, urging President Muhammadu Buhari to return the funds to Delta State.
Now that the said looted funds has finally been returned to the Delta State, Deltans, and indeed Nigerians in the State, would like to know what and what exactly are the plans of the present Delta State Government of Dr. Ifeanyi Okowa, concerning the said loot?
It is also important that all those who aided, cooperated and collaborated with James Ibori to loot Delta State’s treasury during his time in office between 1999 to 2007, should also be made to face the full wrath of the law, especially David Edevbie, the then Delta State Commissioner of Finance. This is because Ibori could not have been able to steal the State’s public funds without the help/assistance from his former aides and commissioners. I repeat that, all of them, including Ighoyota Amori, James Manager, former Accountant-Generals and aides of James Ibori, including the then Commissioner of Finance under that Government, David Edevbie, should all be made to face the music for the financial crimes they committed with their boss, James Ibori who was jailed in the UK with his wife, mistress, lawyer and sister for monies stolen from Delta State. The same monies that are still being recovered and repatriated till date by the UK Government. The repatriated loot is a strong and sufficient evidence to apprehend all those that aided/helped Ibori to steal the State’s funds.
In one of my reactions on this subject matter on March 9th, 2021, where I urged the Federal Government to use the recovered loot of Ibori to fund infrastructural projects in Delta State, like the Osubi-Warri Airstrip Expansion/Upgrade Project to a standard International Airport. I would like to reiterate in that same line, by asking the Delta State Government under Okowa, to use part of the recovered Ibori’s loot to execute this all-important infrastructural project in Delta State. The Osubi-Warri Airstrip Expansion/Upgrade Project is not only suffered unnecessary delays for years now, but it is also long overdue to be executed because of its importance to the economic growth of the State and the entire country.
I was also told that the Osubi-Warri Airstrip needs a special paint to mark the runway/tarmac for better visibility during landing and take-off by aircrafts. Without these special paints to mark the runway/tarmac, it will not be visible for the pilots when landing and taking off if the weather is unfavorable, or at evening/night hours. But what is sad most is the fact that till this moment, the Osubi-Warri Airstrip is still not officially operational. So, now that the Federal Government has revoked the Operational license of Shoreline as the private operators of the said Airstrip, it is imperative for the Delta State Government and the Federal Government to address the issue with the planned expansion/upgrade of the Osubi-Warri Airstrip to a standard International Airport. And also, as a matter of urgency, provide the special paint to mark the runway/tarmac.
The Delta State Government should also use the said Ibori’s recovered loot to carry out other capital infrastructural projects that would solely benefit the common masses of Delta State. But most importantly, such spending of the said loot by the Okowa-led Delta State Government to execute these infrastructural projects in Delta State, should be TRANSPARENTLY DONE, without any involvement (be it directly or indirectly), of Ibori’s handlers and group(s) within the State Government Officials, for the interest of the people of Delta State. This is to avoid a situation where the said monies may end up again in the private pockets of some of the corrupt-laden Government officials that are offshoots and loyalists’ groups of ex-convict-Ibori. That will be tragic and shameful for us as a people, if one dime of the said recovered loot finds its way back into the hands of Ibori and his group.
Zik Gbemre.
May 26, 2021
We Mobilize Others To Fight For Individual Causes As If Those Were Our Causes
-By Zik Gbemre
NOW THAT THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT HAS RETURNED £4.2 MILLION IBORI’S LOOT TO DELTA STATE. WHAT NEXT?
It is imperative for the Governor Okowa-led Delta State Government to enlighten Deltans of what their plans are as regard the said loot…
The Osubi-Warri Airstrip Expansion/Upgrade Project should be amongst the top priority projects that the Delta State Government should use the received loot to execute… Deltans should also be informed of the Other projects planned by the Government…
The said spending of the recovered Ibori loot should be Transparently done, and every dime accounted for by the Delta State Government without any involvement/link to Ibori’s group(s) and loyalists…
With regards to reports that the Accountant General of the Federation, Ahmed Idris, recently said the £4.2 million Ibori loot recently received from the United Kingdom government has been given to Delta State, I believe the question that should be on everyone’s lips is, now that the said Ibori loot, which was aided by the then Commissioner of Finance David Edevbie, Ighoyota Amori and Others, has been released to the Delta State Government, what next? What is the response of the Delta State Government? How will the said received loot be utilized? And for what specific projects will it be used for?
Let us recall that the recovered loot from the former Delta State governor and ex-convict Ibori, has been a subject of varying controversies since its return from the United Kingdom. Nigeria’s Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami, said in a statement by his spokesman, Dr Umar Jibrilu Gwandu, that a total of £4,214,017.66 of the loot associated with the family members of Ibori has been received. Malami initially said the refunded money will be used to execute some ongoing government projects in the country. But I was one of the few Nigerians, including opinion leaders and civil societies who countered the Federal Government’s decision, urging President Muhammadu Buhari to return the funds to Delta State.
Now that the said looted funds has finally been returned to the Delta State, Deltans, and indeed Nigerians in the State, would like to know what and what exactly are the plans of the present Delta State Government of Dr. Ifeanyi Okowa, concerning the said loot?
It is also important that all those who aided, cooperated and collaborated with James Ibori to loot Delta State’s treasury during his time in office between 1999 to 2007, should also be made to face the full wrath of the law, especially David Edevbie, the then Delta State Commissioner of Finance. This is because Ibori could not have been able to steal the State’s public funds without the help/assistance from his former aides and commissioners. I repeat that, all of them, including Ighoyota Amori, James Manager, former Accountant-Generals and aides of James Ibori, including the then Commissioner of Finance under that Government, David Edevbie, should all be made to face the music for the financial crimes they committed with their boss, James Ibori who was jailed in the UK with his wife, mistress, lawyer and sister for monies stolen from Delta State. The same monies that are still being recovered and repatriated till date by the UK Government. The repatriated loot is a strong and sufficient evidence to apprehend all those that aided/helped Ibori to steal the State’s funds.
In one of my reactions on this subject matter on March 9th, 2021, where I urged the Federal Government to use the recovered loot of Ibori to fund infrastructural projects in Delta State, like the Osubi-Warri Airstrip Expansion/Upgrade Project to a standard International Airport. I would like to reiterate in that same line, by asking the Delta State Government under Okowa, to use part of the recovered Ibori’s loot to execute this all-important infrastructural project in Delta State. The Osubi-Warri Airstrip Expansion/Upgrade Project is not only suffered unnecessary delays for years now, but it is also long overdue to be executed because of its importance to the economic growth of the State and the entire country.
I was also told that the Osubi-Warri Airstrip needs a special paint to mark the runway/tarmac for better visibility during landing and take-off by aircrafts. Without these special paints to mark the runway/tarmac, it will not be visible for the pilots when landing and taking off if the weather is unfavorable, or at evening/night hours. But what is sad most is the fact that till this moment, the Osubi-Warri Airstrip is still not officially operational. So, now that the Federal Government has revoked the Operational license of Shoreline as the private operators of the said Airstrip, it is imperative for the Delta State Government and the Federal Government to address the issue with the planned expansion/upgrade of the Osubi-Warri Airstrip to a standard International Airport. And also, as a matter of urgency, provide the special paint to mark the runway/tarmac.
The Delta State Government should also use the said Ibori’s recovered loot to carry out other capital infrastructural projects that would solely benefit the common masses of Delta State. But most importantly, such spending of the said loot by the Okowa-led Delta State Government to execute these infrastructural projects in Delta State, should be TRANSPARENTLY DONE, without any involvement (be it directly or indirectly), of Ibori’s handlers and group(s) within the State Government Officials, for the interest of the people of Delta State. This is to avoid a situation where the said monies may end up again in the private pockets of some of the corrupt-laden Government officials that are offshoots and loyalists’ groups of ex-convict-Ibori. That will be tragic and shameful for us as a people, if one dime of the said recovered loot finds its way back into the hands of Ibori and his group.
Zik Gbemre.
May 26, 2021
We Mobilize Others To Fight For Individual Causes As If Those Were Our Causes