*We’ve paid Delta, says FG
*We are yet to receive any payment, says Delta
Confusion has engulfed the payment of the £4.2 million recovered from the former governor of Delta State, James Ibori, as the Accountant General of the Federation, Ahmed Idris, has said the money has been paid to the Delta State government.
However, the Delta State government has denied ever receiving such money.
The accountant general’s claim contradicts that of the attorney general who said the Ibori loot would be used to fund some federal projects.
The fund, which the federal government recently received from the United Kingdom, is part of the proceeds of crime seized from ex-governor Ibori.
Idris while appearing before the committee investigating the status of recovered loot at the national assembly said, “all recovered funds that belong to the respective states are paid directly to the states.
“Some recoveries are for state governments, I know there was a time recovery were made on behalf of Plateau State, there was one for Bayelsa, even Delta, such recoveries go to those states,” he stated.
Adejoro Adeogun (APC, Ogun), the chairman of the committee, asked Idris specifically if the Ibori loot was paid to Delta State and he answered in the affirmative.
According to Idris, “It was paid to the state, it was paid to Delta State. Any recovery that is arising from any state, goes to that state. State governors will not even allow it to fly, they will take the federal government to court. We pay them their money.”
However, this contradicts the earlier position of the federal government. The Attorney General of the Federation, Abubakar Malami, had said the money will be used by the federal government to fund three ongoing projects; which he named as Lagos-Ibadan Expressway, Abuja-Kano road and Second Niger Bridge.
A spokesman to Governor Ifeanyi Okowa told journalists in Asaba that the state government was yet to receive the funds.
