Former Delta State Governor, Dr Ifeanyi Okowa has responded to allegations made by Chief Edwin Clark about the developments in Delta state.
Okowa on Thursday in Asaba while reacting to Clark’s revelation that he wasted the state’s money on Atiku’s election, embezzled the state 13 per cent derivation fund, said it has become a norm for Clark to start pulling down ex governors once they leave office.
Represented by his spokesman, Mr Olisah Ifeajika, he said he was worried that Clark kept revisiting issues that have been addressed over and over.
While saying it has become a norm for Clark to start pulling down ex-governors once they leave office, he said the action is unsavoury and unsalutory especially to Okowa who was said to have performed superlatively.
On the issue of N150b, he said it was not a loan but a bridging finance meant for oil producing states, not directly from FAC or derivation as alleged by Clark while he said the state assembly approves the budget of Delta State Oil Producing Areas Development Commission (DESOPADEC).
“The money is #270 billion, the Federal Government agreed to pay instalmentaly in five years. Delta after getting clearance from the state assembly, used its own to defray pension arrears close to N60 billion and other projects. Instead of waiting for the five years to assess the money, the state went to borrow #91 billion”
On the aspect of betrayal during the last general election, he said Okowa accepted to be running mate to Atiku Abubakar based on the PDP committees report that threw the competition open especially when a mediocre was coming up to compete with APC candidates.
“Even after the party primary and Atiku picked Okowa, there was no opposition to Okowa’s choice from anybody. Okowa has said he does not own a bank. Surprisingly the matter is still coming up. Clark does not own Delta state to start demanding for explanation” he stated.
