Niger Delta youths under the umbrella of the Niger Delta Youth Council (NDYC), have kicked against the plan by the federal government to divert the 4.2 million Pounds looted by the former governor of Delta State James Ibori from being used in the region.
The group on Tuesday warned that it would resist such an attempt by the FG, stating that the money should be used in developing Niger Delta.
Specifically, on Tuesday 9, 2021, Nigeria and the UK signed a Memorandum of Understanding in Abuja to repatriate the money looted by James Ibori when he was governor of Delta.
The money, stashed in the UK was recovered by the British government from Ibori, his friends and family members and is expected to be repatriated to Nigeria next Tuesday.
Meanwhile at the signing of the MOU, Attorney-General and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami, said the money would be committed to completing the Second Niger Bridge, the Abuja-Kano Highway, and the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway.
In a statement issued in Abuja on Tuesday, however, the NDYC said the people of Delta would be short-changed and deprived of their legitimate resources to improve on needed infrastructure.
The statement which was jointly signed by NDYC’s Director for International Relations, Mr Collins Achakpekri and its National Coordinator, Mr Jator Abido, states that the group promised to use all available legal means to ensure that Delta got what belonged to it as had always been the practice.
“This is not the first time monies looted from states in Nigeria are being recovered from abroad. However, once the money is returned, it goes to the state from where it was stolen.
“The money confiscated from former Governor of Plateau, Joshua Dariye, in the UK was recovered by the Federal Government, repatriated to Nigeria and returned to the state government.
“The money confiscated from former Gov. Diepreye Alayemiesegha of Bayelsa in the UK was recovered by the Federal Government, repatriated to Nigeria and remitted to the account of the state government.
“How then will anyone suggest that the 4.2 million Pounds confiscated from Ibori in the UK and recovered by the Federal Government should not be remitted to the state, but used to construct bridge and roads,’’ they queried.
Meanwhile, the group lauded members of the Federal House of Representatives from the Niger Delta and others for their resolution urging the Federal Government to hand over the recovered loot to Delta. (NAN)
