Centre for Peace and Environmental Justice (ÇEPEJ), has challenged Governor Sheriff Oborevwori of Delta State to account for the whopping sum of N465 billion debt inherited from the immediate past administration of Governor Ifeanyi Okowa.
The national coordinator, CEPEJ, Comrade Sheriff Mulade, speaking in Warri, Delta State, said the group has already alerted the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to wade in and requested that he should show proof of projects that these monies were used for.
Hear him: “Recently, although we were not shocked but we were surprised that the Delta State government told us that they have paid N130 billion out of the N465 billion inherited by the government.
“These monies were monies borrowed by the immediate past government and sometimes we find it very funny for the Delta State Governor, Sheriff Oborevwori, to tell us that he inherited N465 billion.
“This N465 billion plus, were approved by him under his watch as the Speaker of the Delta State House of Assembly. Before these monies were approved, they were tied to projects, where are these projects? Why is he paying N130 billion now?
“So, he (governor) needs to tell us the projects these monies were used for because he was part of the government that borrowed these monies.
“Today, he happens to be the executive governor of Delta State, he owe us that responsibility to explain. We are using this opportunity to call on him to tell us what the N465 billion were borrowed and used for.
“I want to also say that the Delta State House of Assembly led by Hon. Emomotimi Guwor, should investigate the usage of those monies. A committee should be set up in the house to investigate the usage of these monies and tell Deltans what they were used for.
“We will not keep quiet until we know how these monies were used because you will recall that we borrowed towards the end of the last administration and when this government came in, there was no funds in any of the Delta state accounts.
“So, the first thing this government did was to borrow N40 billion. Delta cannot be one of the richest states in Nigeria and be borrowing money, it is not acceptable”, he stressed.
