Politics

UPU Leaders Meet Malami, Want Govt To Use Ibori’s Loot In Delta

Published

4 years ago

March 26, 2021

NewTimes

Malami Wants Journalists Sanctioned For False Reports

The leaders of the Urhobo Progress Union (UPU) have commended the Federal Government for recovering £4.2million allegedly looted by former Delta State Governor James Ibori.

They, however, urged the government to use the funds to execute projects in Delta State.

They spoke on Friday when they met with the Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Mr. Abubakar Malami, SAN, to protest against the decision of the Federal Government to expend the £4.2million loot on projects outside Delta State.

The union submitted at the Registry of the Federal Ministry of Justice, a letter they addressed to President Muhammadu Buhari, urging him to review the list of projects to be executed with the funds which they maintained belonged to the people of Delta State.

While commending the Buhari-led administration for its effort towards ensuring that the looted funds were returned to Nigeria, UPU said it was, however, shocked to hear of the FG’s plan to use the retrieved funds for the completion of the second Niger bridge, Lagos-lbadan Expressway and Abuja-Kano Expressway.

In the letter entitled, “Commendation for Retrieval of Delta State’s Stolen Funds and Request for Review of Projects to be Executed With the Retrieved Funds”, UPU, said it would amount to double jeopardy for Delta State to lose the funds again to federal projects in other states.

The Urhobo union, therefore, urged the government to use the recovered funds to attend to several abandoned federal projects in Delta State. It listed nine of such projects for consideration.

UPU’s letter read: “Your Excellency, the Urhobo Progress Union (UPU) established m 1933, second in formative precedence only to the African National Congress (ANC) of South Africa that represents the largest ethnic nationality in Delta State, wishes to express its appreciation to your government‘s engagement with the British Government over funds stolen from the coffers of the Delta State Government and their successful planned retrieval in trenches to Nigeria under a Memorandum of Understanding With the British government.

“The UPU welcomes the planned return of these funds as a practical demonstration of your government’s tireless resolve to promote accountability and transparency in governance, a value that underpins UPU’s goal of promoting the well-being of its people and all Nigerians.

“UPU commends this development and appreciates the federal government’s strong concern over returning these funds directly to the state government where the key actors involved are still in control or have considerable influence over the affairs of the state.

“The UPU and the entire people of Delta State are, however, shocked to hear of the federal government plan to use the retrieved funds for the completion of the second Niger bridge, Lagos-lbadan Expressway and Abuja-kano Expressway.

“While we note that these are very worthy projects, it should, however, be noted that these recovered funds belong to the people of Delta State who were and still the main victims deprived of the benefit of these funds.

“It will, therefore, be a double jeopardy to again lose these funds meant for direct projects in Delta State but initially taken away but now recovered, only to lose these funds again to federal projects in other states.

“The UPU, therefore, kindly appeals to the federal government on behalf of our people to reconsider the expressed intention and use the funds to attend to several abandoned federal projects in Delta State and mitigate the deprivations that the people have already suffered from the protracted … of the funds.

“This will indeed demonstrate the fairness and justice which informed your government’s endeavour to embark upon the retrieval of these funds and therefore should benefit directly the people of Delta State.

“Your Excellency, as mentioned above, there are federal projects that require urgent attention and revival within Delta State that will not only symbolically seal the goodwill of the people of the state towards your government for embarking on this endeavour, but will also reaffirm your government’s good disposition to our people as exemplified by the recent revival of the railway lines to warri to boost transportation and trade needed to enhance the revitalization of the numerous federal and state economic assets within the state, such as the Sea Ports, Steel Complex, Gas plant and Petroleum Refinery.

“We, therefore, kindly request your government to consider the following federal projects and programs within Delta state that trenches of the expected re-funds should be used for, namely: “Rehabilitation of Ologbo-Warri federal Road .

” Rehabilitation of the SapeIe-Amukpe-Aghalokpe-Eku-Abraka to Agbor federal road. ”

“Rehabilitation of the Warri-Ughelli-Asaba Road .

“Rehabilitation of deteriorated assess roads and operational infrastructure of federal assets including Sea Ports, Refinery, Steel Complex, Security Personnel Barracks, federal tertiary institutions within Delta state.

“Unpaid disengaged staff of the Aladja Steel Complex Delta State. “The dredging of the Escravos bar and Koko Port development (Itsekiri ).

“Rehabilitation of Bomadi-Otuomo to Rugbenee-Ozobo Road in (Ijaw) .

“Rehabilitation of Umeh-Oleh-Ozoro Road in (lsoko) .

“Expansion of Osubi Airport, Effurun.

ALSO READ: Ibori’s £4.2m Loot Belongs To Delta State – Reps

“We have only compiled a short-Iist of these few projects out of many that the federal government should use the returned funds for in the interest of justice and fairness that underpinned your government’s efforts to recover the funds and we urge that the recovered funds should be used for the beneficial interest of the people of Delta State.

“Your Excellency, the justice of this matter demands this and so shall you be remembered by our people given similar precedents of recovered funds returned by the federal government to Bayelsa and Plateau states.

“Surely, the joy of the people of Delta State and their gratitude will be boundless if your efforts are crowned by using the funds for federal projects In Delta state.

“We, therefore, appeal to and urge your government to favourably consider our request on behalf of the Urhobo and indeed the entire people of Delta State ”

Read more authentic news on our social media platforms

Politics

BREAKING: PDP Wins, Clears All 30 Councils In Osun Poll

Published

2 weeks ago

February 22, 2025

NewTimes

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) on Saturday emerged the winner for the election for all the chairmanship and councillorship seats in all the 30 local government areas of Osun State.

The election was held on Saturday.

The Chairman of the Osun State Independent Electoral Commission, Hashim Abioye, announced the results at a press conference in Osogbo, the state capital on Saturday evening.

Politics

Bisi Akande Drags Obasanjo Into Bola Ige’s Murder

Published

1 month ago

February 1, 2025

NewTimes

By John Michael Ojo

Bisi Akande, a former governor of Osun State, has alleged that the administration of former President Olusegun Obasanjo was responsible for the brutal killing of erstwhile Attorney General of the Federation, Chief Bola Ige.

Akande stated this while appearing on Edmund Obilo’s podcast, State Affairs, where he also claimed that a friend Oluwole Rotimi, had given a hint on the impending danger if the deceased resigned from President Obasanjo’s government.

When asked to speak on the incident, the former interim Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), said: “One evening, he (Ige) called me and said he was going to resign from this government tomorrow. It was sudden, and I said, ‘Please sir, I will come back to you.’ I called Oluwole Rotimi, and said this is what your friend told me: that he was going to resign from Obasanjo’s government tomorrow.

READ ALSO: South-West Governors, Tinubu, Akande, Akinrinade, Others To Meet Over State Of The Nation

“He asked me to advise him not to resign because if he does, he is likely going to die—he said that to me on the phone. I called Uncle (Ige) and begged him not to resign.

“He said he had talked to Wole Soyinka and Bola Tinubu, and both of them said he should resign. But I said, ‘Don’t. You can go to Obasanjo, tell him what you are angry about, and if he doesn’t want you anymore, here is your letter.’”

Akande who also claimed that Ige, a Second Republic Governor of Oyo State had issues bordering on trust with the then President said “Since he was resigning from his government, I think he stopped trusting him.”

However, Akande who was the governor of a neighbouring state when Ige was assassinated in Oyo State on the 23rd of December 2001, failed to provide names of those he felt were directly involved in the murder case.

“I don’t know. He was killed in Oyo State while I was ruling in Osun State. The government killed him (Bola Ige). It was a state murder.

“Lam Adesina, who was the Chief Security Officer of Oyo State then, went to court, and Ladoja withdrew the case from court. He might know more and be able to tell you.

READ ALSO: Adebanjo Wants EFCC To Probe Sources Of Wealth Of Tinubu, Akande

“It was the government that killed him, and the government can kill anybody.

“Obasanjo wasn’t keen about Ige’s death; he was more interested in the stability of himself,” Akande maintained.

Read more authentic news on our social media platforms

Politics

LG Election: Opposition Parties On Holiday, APC Remains Party to Beat – Abiodun

Published

4 months ago

November 10, 2024

NewTimes

My Dad Asked Me To Prioritise Civil Servants, Pensioners, Teachers - Abiodun

Ogun State Governor Dapo Abiodun

Ogun State Governor, Prince Dapo Abiodun has declared that based on the performance of his administration in the last five years, opposition parties are clearly unpopular and invisible in the forthcoming local government election.

The governor added that the quality of candidates the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) is presenting in the election would make it the party to beat with landslide victory in all the 20 Local Government Areas of the State.

Speaking through his Special Adviser on Media and Communications, Hon. Kayode Akinmade, over the weekend, Prince Abiodun explained that his administration has changed the hitherto volatile political environment in the state and made it conducive for opposition parties to operate without hindrance or intimidation.

According to him, instead of the primordial machinery of intimidation, his administration has dwarfed the opposition parties in the state through sterling performance and creative ideas for development.

Governor Abiodun, therefore, urged members of APC in the state to show more commitment and work in harmony to sustain the feats already attained in the past years and ensure resounding victory during the November 16 local government poll.

“With the quality of candidates our party is presenting in the forthcoming local government election in the State, APC remains a part to beat; we have assiduously and consistently made remarkable impacts in the life of our people and this is indeed our selling point.

“Without going through the primordial route of physical intimidation of opposition parties, our administration has obviously silenced them by our intimidating projects, creative ideas and prudence, which have earned us a leading status among other federating units.

“It is now incumbent on every APC member across the 20 Local Government Areas to sustain the enviable feats our party has recorded in the last five years by showing more commitment and work in unison for the victory of our party come November 16,” Abiodun said.