By Adedapo Adesanya
The federal government has returned the £4.2 million looted by the former Delta State Governor, Mr James Ibori, to the state.
This was confirmed on Tuesday by the Accountant General of the Federation, Mr Ahmed Idris, when he appeared before an ad hoc committee of the House of Representatives.
The funds were received by the Nigerian government from the United Kingdom government last week.
“The major consideration relating to who is entitled to a fraction or perhaps the money in its entirety is a function of law and international diplomacy,” Mr Idris informed the lawmakers.
This development contradicts what the Attorney-General of the Federation, Mr Abubakar Malami, earlier said that the loot would be used for the construction of the second Niger Bridge, Abuja-Kano road, and Lagos-Ibadan Expressway.
He said that the money will not be sent to the Delta State Government, whose coffer it was stolen from.
He argued that the law that was alleged to have been breached by Mr Ibori was a federal law and that the parties of interests involved in the repatriation of the funds were national and not sub-national governments.
But the Accountant-General during the meeting told the house that recoveries were made by the federal government on behalf of states.
According to him, any recovery arising from looted funds from a particular state would go directly to the states.
When asked where the funds would go, he answered that “It was paid to Delta State.”
“So, such recoveries go specifically to those states. Chairman, any recovery arising from the looted funds from a particular state goes to the state. The state governors will not even allow this to fly.
“Some recoveries are for some state governments, specific state governments. I know there was a time recovery was made on behalf of Plateau State, there was one for Bayelsa, there is one for Delta,” he said when asked where the money was diverted to.
“You know they will not. They will take the federal government to court for holding their money. So, we don’t joke or play with that, we pay them their money,” he further declared.
Business Post had reported last week Tuesday that the federal government had received the £4.2 million seized from the associates of the convicted former governor from the United Kingdom.
Aduragbemi Omiyale