The House of Representatives, last Wednesday, asked the federal government to halt disbursement of repatriated £4.2 million looted by former Delta State governor, James Ibori. Udora Orizu reports
As the Federal Government gears up to receive from the United Kingdom, the £4.2 million forfeited by a former governor of Delta State, Chief James Ibori, the House of Representatives has faulted the decision to spend it on the completion of the Second Niger Bridge, Abuja-Kano Expressway and the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway, because the money belongs to Delta State.
The House had at the plenary on March 10, declared that the money belongs to Delta State, urging the Federal Ministry of Finance to stop further appropriation or disbursement, pending the final determination of the matter by the lawmakers.
By Alex Enumah, Emmanuel Addeh, Udora Orizu in Abuja and Omon-Julius Onabu in Asaba
TThe Delta State Government yesterday got support from the House of Representatives as well as two Senior Advocates of Nigeria (SANs), Professor Epiphany Azinge and Mr. Femi Falana, to lay claims to the £4.2 million recovered by the United Kingdom due to be repatriated to Nigeria soon.
The House at plenary asked the federal government to suspend plans to spend the money as it belongs to the state.
Azinge and Falana also rejected the expenditure outlay the federal government released on Tuesday.
However, THISDAY gathered that the state government is considering options on how to get back the money, recovered in the UK from the associates of a former governor of Delta State, Chief James Ibori, from the federal government when finally repatriated.
Using Ibori loot for Lagos-Ibadan Expressway, Abuja-Kano rail line unjust – Sagay
Eniola Akinkuotu and Leke Baiyewu
The Chairman, Presidential Advisory Committee Against Corruption, Prof. Itse Sagay (SAN), has advised the President, Major General Muhammadu Buhari (retd.), to use the loot to fund projects in Delta State.
Sagay said this during an interview with
The PUNCH on Wednesday.
The PACAC chairman said using the latest £4.2m (N2.2bn) tranche of the Ibori loot to fund the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway and the Abuja-Kano railway, would be unjust since such projects would have no direct impact on the lives of the people of Delta.
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• Pay returned money to Delta varsity students, Sowore says
The House of Representatives, yesterday, directed the Federal Government to halt the spending plan of the recovered £4.2 million Ibori loot and ensure that the money once returned by the United Kingdom (UK) is handed over to Delta State.
This was the resolution reached after a motion of urgent public importance jointly sponsored by all the 10 lawmakers from Delta State, was adopted at the plenary presided by the Deputy Speaker Ahmed Wase.
The federal government said on Tuesday the £4.2 million recovered from former Governor James Ibori of Delta State would be used to fund three major projects.