Delta state governor, Ifeanyi Okowa is said to have given out 50% of the Paris Club Refund to his own blood relation he personally appointed as a consultant following an agreement reached that the consultant will receive 50% of the money.
The revelation which was made by Cairo Ojougboh, immediate past Deputy National chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP during an interview, after his defection to the All Progressive Party, APC, in Agbor, Ika South local government area of Delta state, accused governor Okowa of diverting the Paris club refund to personal pockets.
“The issue of the Paris Club refund, the money received by Delta State has not been accounted for by the government of Delta State. It is very easy for the security agencies and financial agencies to confirm what I want to say about the Paris club payment. The government of Delta State led by Ifeanyi Okowa appointed a consultant and had an agreement that the consultant will receive 50% of the Paris Club refund. The consultant is a close relative of the governor of Delta State, Dr. Okowa.
“As soon as the money was paid, the consultant took 50%. The remaining 50% was paid into the account of the bureau de change and the money was converted to dollars for the private use of the officials of the Delta State government. The statement that the Paris Club refund money was used for payment of salaries and pension is very very untrue. If that were the case, let the government tell us the institutions that were paid, the number of persons that were paid and their names.
“Of course, if you pay scholarship to students and when the federal government releases money, they publish in newspapers for all to see. And of course, when the financial investigating institutions traces the money that was paid as the Paris Club, the traces are there and how the money expended. There’s no doubt the money have been stolen 100%. Delta State government is owing fifteen (15) months salary to ALGON workers, fifteen 15) months salary to teachers and ten (10) months salary to the state workers.” Ojougboh disclosed.
On money accruing to the Delta State Oil Producing Areas Development Commission, (DESOPADEC), Mr. Ojougboh who left the PDP with over 14,000 members to the ruling APC party, lamented that governor Okowa has completely killed the commission.
“Now, the issue of the money accruable to the mineral producing areas, DESOPADEC, of course, all of you know what is going on with the money. The DESOPADEC has been completely emasculated. It is no longer the organisation to be proud of as it was before. Today, the issue of payment of the Oil producing areas is a very pathetic one and everyday, you hear it on radio and everywhere that the contractors are not paid, the institution have been rubbished, the money due to them is never paid to them, if the government releases money to the authority, they go back there and share it among themselves .
“The other issue raised is infrastructure. All of you are aware what is happening to the Asaba area of Delta state. You all know about the erosion problem there now. It is a disaster and something the government have no capacity to do anything about. I will address all these issues in a rally very soon and we will take it up from there. But if you also look at the CFPEJ, they have also come out with the same issue we’ve raised to say that the Paris Club refund money was diverted completely by Gov. Okowa.
“Now, we also have a report about the way and manner one Lawrence Osiegbu who represents the governor, a former commissioner in Delta state is acquiring properties all over the world on behalf of the governor of Delta State. Since the governor took over power, Lawrence Osiegbu has acquired on behalf of the governor twenty (20) properties in abuja, five (5) in South Africa, ten properties in the Unite States including a super ranch in Atlanta, Georgia, ten properties in Banana Island and of course ten(10) properties in Eko Atlantic City.
“Theses are the lists that was sent to us this morning. There is no government in Delta State. The governor is completely incompetent. There is no structure to show for the money Delta State has received since this government took over. If you go to Lagos State, everybody is shouting Ambode, Ambode but Gov. Ambode has not receive more money than Gov. Okowa has received. Okowa, where is our money?”
On his reaction to the recent Press statement issued by the Delta State PDP Publicity Secretary, Mr. Michael Ifeanyi Osuoza, where he cast aspersions on his person, Mr. Ojougboh, lambasted the PDP publicity secretary.
“Mr. Ifeanyi Michael Osuoza, the man we call Agenda was with me few days before our event in Agbor. He came to see me and we talked at length about the mis-governance in Delta State and other issues as Okowa’s incompetence and how to get the state right on track. Mr. Osuoza complained bitterly about the governor’s ill treatment of those in his government and criticised many of Okowa’s policies which he said were only to favour the governor and his kinsmen.
“When he finished, I said, Agenda, I have known you for a long time and for you to speak like this, indeed you must be very very offended. I said, however, there’s a window for you, why don’t you join us? He said we should go first, then they will come later. He said even commissioners in Okowa’s government and people working for him (Okowa) are not happy with the governor. He said even to buy petrol into their personal vehicles is a problem. He mentioned the names of four persons that are enjoying Okowa’s government.
“He said the governor himself, the governor’s younger brother, he mentioned one Lawrence Oshiegbu, the governor’s principal secretary, one Hilary Ibegbulem and the governor’s protocol officer, one Ifeanyi Eboigbe. So when he was going, he said he was broke, I said okay and I had to put my hand in the pocket and I gave him the sum of two hundred thousand naira (N200,000). He thanked me. He knelt down to thank me for the money and I was happy.
“So to have him issue such statement is to tell you the sort, quality and character of people who call themselves politicians in Delta State. Why am bringing this up is that this issue of sycophancy , telling lies against leaders, if not addressed, politics and politicians will continue to be seen as people of poor character. You can imagine myself at my age, I turned 58 some few days ago.
“I’m a medical doctor, I left the medical school 32 years ago. You can imagine how long I left the medical school and then you are outside, they say these people are politicians, they are not serious, they cast aspersions, they give you all sorts of bad names, it is because of characters like Mr. Michael Ifeanyi Osuoza.” Ojougboh stated.
