*As Governor’s Wife Uses 25 Buses For Three Days Without Payment
Delta state governor, Ifeanyi Okowa, recently attributed the sale of the state owned transport service, Delta Line, to his crony, God Is Good Motors transport services to what he termed inviability, but facts have revealed how, Charles Uwaje, Senior Special Assistant (SSA), on transport to Okowa and the Commissioner for Transport, Vincent Uduaghan have been looting the treasury of the state owned transport service.
As controversy continued to trail the sale of Delta Line by governor Okowa, it was revealed that the sale was a racket between the governor, the commissioner for finance, David Edevbie, the commissioner for economic planning, Kingsley Emu and Okowa’s close ally called Lulu.
Facts also emerged how governor Okowa’s wife, Edith Okowa, had at different occasions made use of 25 buses from Delta Line for three consecutive days at the expense of the company while the cashier, Shola Oweh and two others are used as fronts by Mr. Uduaghan and Mr. Uwaje to siphon millions of naira from the company’s treasury.
An impeccable staff in the Lagos office of Delta Line, told HardReporters editor in Lagos that the transport commissioner and the governor’s aide have been running Delta Line as cabals, using Mr. Oweh and few staff to carry out their looting, adding that from January to July this year over N15 million have been looted from the company by Mr. Uwaje alone using the cashier, Mr. Oweh to perpetrate the stealing.
“Uwaje, has always made selected station managers to remit to his private pocket N100, 000, N150, 000, and N200, 000 every fortnight for his private use without records. Apart from taking monies from the station managers, there are other illicit methods used to remit money to the SSA. The illicit deal in Delta Line is carried out in this way. Once the buses with the following numbers 838, 225, 886, 842, 822, 825, 905, 903, 847, 891 and other selected buses finished load passengers, no one is allowed to take records or manifest the buses.
“On daily basis this illicit act is carried out at the Asaba loading bay, Koka, Ughelli, Asaba, Lagos, Sapele, Warri and other selected stations across the country, after which, monies gotten are signed for by the cashier, Mr. Oweh who will in turn remit same to private pocket of Okowa’s aide. The other day governor Okowa had through the state commissioner for information, Mr. Patrick Ukah said, Delta Line was no longer viable hence it was put out for sale.
“How can it be viable when the first lady will come and take away 25 buses for three good days without paying a dime, its the company that will fuel the vehicles and motivate the drivers for her and governor Okowa is seated in his office saying Delta Line is not viable. Sometimes in May, this year, the first lady requested for 25 buses from Delta Line, which she used for good three days without a dime, so tell me how can such company generate money in such situation.?” the staff asked.
According to our source, since inception of Okowa as governor till date over N200 million profits have been lodged into the following Delta Line, station lodgement accounts, Eco Bank: 2152013803, Zenith Bank:1011009840, Union Bank: 0034717078, UBA:1001226305, “but despite all the lodgement, we are been owed several months, yet Okowa said the company is not viable when he is aware that his SSA and commissioner has ran the company aground. Several petitions sent to Okowa over these issues, did not see the light of the day.”
Our source further disclosed that outside imprests, the sum of N3.6 million is released every month from the ministry of transport by the commissioner to the governor’s aide on transport, Uwaje as imprests for maintenance and repairs of broken down vehicles, but rather than use it for the purpose it was been released, the aide will divert it to his private pocket.
The Chief Press Secretary to Governor Ifeanyi Okowa, Charles Aniagwu who has been running from one radio stations to another doing “damage control,” had at a press briefing in government house, Asaba, few weeks back disclosed that the state government only divested 60 percent of its equity shares to ensure greater efficiency and improved profitability in the state owned transport service, Delta Line.
Mr. Aniagwu who has consistently refused to reveal the identities of other companies who participated in the bidding with God Is Good Motors, said over the years, the management of the company had failed to deliver on the purpose it was set up but, rather, has incurred huge debts, “failed to meet with its contractual obligations to workers, thereby prompting government to look at better ways to ensure that the desired results of rendering services to Deltans was achieved while the state government makes money from the company. The yet to be signed Memorandum of Understanding, (MoU), provides that God is Good Motors will bring in N161 million to reorganize the company.”
All calls and messages to the state transport commissioner, Mr. Vincent Uduaghan and the governor’s aide, Mr. Charles Uwaje were not responded to as at the time of this report.
