The Governor of Delta State, Dr. Ifeanyi Okowa has challenged President Muhammadu Buhari to mention the names of the state governors whom he accused of stealing from the monthly allocation to local government councils in their states.
Africa Today News, New York had on Friday reported that President Buhari had lambasted the governors, blaming them for the pervasive underdevelopment of communities at the council areas, claiming that governors were tampering with the monthly allocations to the local councils.
However, while reacting in Asaba through his Chief Press Secretary, Olisa Ifeajika, Okowa who is the vice presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), said it was unfortunate for the president to have made such a blanket statement.
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He said Okowa cannot be counted among governors pilfering local council funds, noting that the state government, on a monthly basis, support councils in the state with ₦300 million to enable them pay salaries and stay afloat.
‘He does this religiously. For a man who does that, how can he be among those stealing LG money? Our governor is not part of it.
‘If a roll call is taken about the governors that fall in that bracket being referred to by Mr. President, certainly Okowa will not be there.‘
Africa Today News, New York reports that Buhari had gone further to reveal that he approved a total payment of ₦1.7 trillion to 9 oil-producing states as 13% oil derivation subsidy and SURE-P refunds owed them by the federal government.
It also stated that these 9 states have been paid ₦625.43 billion as 13% derivation fund, subsidy, and SURE-P refunds from the federation account in the last 2 years.
This disclosure is contained in a statement on Friday, December 2, on President Muhammadu Buhari’s official Twitter account, where he listed the states to have received the refunds dating from 1999 to 2021 including Abia, Akwa-Ibom, Bayelsa, Cross River, Delta, Edo, Imo, Ondo, and Rivers.
According to reports, Abia State received N1.1billion, Akwa-Ibom – N15bn, Bayelsa – ₦1.6 billion, Cross River – 432 million, Delta – ₦14.8 billion, Edo – ₦2.2 billion, Imo – ₦2.9billion, Ondo – ₦3.7billion and Rivers – ₦12.8 billion.