Nigeria

Sagay condemns FG's plan to use Ibori's loot for federal projects

Thursday, March 11, 2021 at 9:15 AM by Jerrywright Ukwu

- The conversation around the returned Ibori loot from the United Kingdom is still on

- An appointee of the president and a professor of law, has joined in rejected the government's plan to use the funds for federal projects

- Professor Itse Sagay advised that the funds should only be used for projects in Delta state

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Professor Itse Sagay (SAN), has condemned the plan by the federal government to use the returned Ibori's loot from the United Kingdom to fund federal projects.

Sagay who is currently the chairman of, Presidential Advisory Committee Against Corruption, advised President Muhammadu Buhari to ensure that the funds are only used in Delta state, where the former governor hails from.

He said using the latest £4.2million (N2.2billion) tranche of the Ibori loot to fund the Lagos-Ibadan expressway and the Abuja-Kano railway would be unjust since such projects would have no direct impact on the lives of the people of Delta.

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The professor of law further argued that since the funds emanated from the Delta state treasury, it would only be proper for the money to be used for the development of the state.

Sagay condemns FG's plan to use Ibori's loot for federal projects — The Okowa-led administration in Delta state has already revealed they will challenge the federal government in court for the decision. Photo credit: @IAOkowa
Source: Twitter

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He told The Punch during an interview:

“My advice is for the federal government to ask the Delta state government to nominate projects they want to undertake and then money would be released for the projects.”

Nigerians have also been commenting on the issue via social media since it became public knowledge.

Abdurrahman A Umar wrote on Twitter:

“Ibori was a governor in Delta state. The money he stole belongs to the people of Delta. To right the wrong, whatever project funding the money will be used for should be in Delta state.”

Akinsanya Okwuchukwu wrote:

“Firstly the Ibori loot doesn’t belong to the federal government but the Delta state government, as the loot was stolen from the state account, not the federal account thus the loot should be returned back to where it was stolen which is Delta state.”

Read also

Nigerian lawyers explain why Delta state can’t claim £4.2m looted by Ibori

A.S Mailafiya wrote:

“They keep pumping in money in the same projects and the works are not progressing. That's called "super corruption" taking place in my country!”

Akukwesili Obiechefu wrote:

“This Lagos-Ibadan expressway has only succeeded in making officials richer and richer.

Olola Olalekan wrote:

“The looting of Buhari's administration is through projects. Road construction, railway, and other projects are conduit pipes to loot the nation's treasury.”

Ken Arshaken wrote:

“Ibori loot belongs to Deltans only, the money should be used to build something tangible in delta state in my own opinion.”

Meanwhile, the plan by the federal government to use part of the funds for some federal projects has been rejected by the Delta state government.

The stern opposition came on Tuesday, March 9, from the Delta state commissioner for information, Ehiedu Aniagwu, who said the state will only allow the government to take a percentage of the funds as a cost for the recovery.