The Delta State Government has said that it is yet to receive the £4.2 million recovered from the former governor of the state, James Ibori, and returned by the UK Government.
The clarification follows the statement made by the Accountant General of the Federation, Ahmed Idris, on Tuesday, that the recovered Ibori loot has been returned to the Delta State Government.
This disclosure was made through a statement issued by the Chief Press Secretary to the Delta State Governor, Mr Olisa Ifeajika, on Wednesday, May 26, 2021, in Asaba, saying that no money with respect to the recovered funds had entered the coffers of the state government.
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What the Chief Press Secretary to the Delta State Governor is saying
Ifeajika in his statement said, “The Accountant-General of the Federation, Mr Ahmed Idris, had disclosed on Tuesday before the House of Representatives Committee on Recovered Assets, in Abuja, that the funds had been released to the state.
The money has not arrived in our coffers. Delta government is in contact with the Federal Government, especially the Office of the Attorney-General of the Federation, on the issue.
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It expresses appreciation for the disposition of the Federal Government in releasing the funds to the state and assured that it would acknowledge receipt of the funds when it arrives.
The government also assured the Federal Government and the people of Delta that the funds would, in tandem with Gov. Ifeanyi Okowa’s administration’s hallmark, be judiciously deployed especially in the completion of projects it had earlier intimated the Presidency about,” Ifeajika said.
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What you should know
It can be recalled that the £4.2 million loot was seized from the associates of convicted former Governor of Delta State, James Ibori, by the United Kingdom and recently returned to Nigeria.
The recovered loot was recently received by the Federal Government from the United Kingdom and the Accountant General of the Federation, Mr Idris, while appearing before the committee investigating the status of recovered loots, stated that the Ibori loot was returned to Delta State.
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He said that any recovery that is arising from any state goes to that state, noting that state governors will not even allow it to fly as they will take the federal government to court.
