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Rt. Hon.Sheriff Oborevwori,Speaker DTHA.

An allegation of illegal diversion of Delta State House of Assembly finances into private accounts has been made against the immediate past and current Speakers of the legislative House, with a call on the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to freeze the bank accounts of Rt. Hon. Monday Igbuya, Rt. Hon. Sheriff Oborevwori, the account opened with the Clerk of the House and the Accountant who are signatories.
The allegation and calls came in a petition addressed to the Chairman, Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC Headquarters, Abuja, dated 30th October, 2017 written by a group, a Nigerian Unemployed Youth Vanguard, the Empowerment for Unemployed Youth Initiative and signed by its National Coordinator, Comrade Solomon Adodo.
In the petition tiltled: “Illegal diversion of Delta State House of Assembly finances into private accounts on the orders of the Governor: A plea for speedy and thorough investigation,” the Empowerment for Unemployed Youth Initiative, a civil society group, states that following scrupulous findings, it has discovered “the fraudulent, criminal, and conspiratorial diversion of the finances of the Delta State House of Assembly into private bank accounts sincethe advent of the Ifeanyi Okowa administration in Delta State.”
The Youth group drew the attention of the anti-graft Agency to what it describes as certain specific sorry developments in the Delta State House of Assembly,which it alleges, reek of high level financial sleaze and unprecedented financial crimes any state government might have been mired in.
It listed the “Sorry developments” as follows:
i. On 24th October, 2014, the Supreme Court Ordered Hon. Edoja Akpodiete,
Member representing Ughelli North Constituency II to vacate the Seat
immediately and within 90 days refund to the State coffers all salaries and
allowances paid to him since 2011 when he wrongfully took the seat.
ii. The Supreme Court further Ordered Hon. Jenkins Duvie Gwede to assume the
Seat as Member representing Ughelli North Constituency II and the due
entitlements to be paid to him.
iii. In flagrant abuse of this Supreme Court Judgment the salaries and
allowances of Hon. Jenkins Duvie Gwede were not paid. This prompted Hon.
Jenkins Gwede to garnishee the accounts of the House through a Court Order.
iv. In order to subvert the law and further flout Court Orders, the Delta State
Governor in cahoots with the leadership of the Delta State House of
Assembly ordered that all finances meant for the House be paid into the
Bank Accounts of the Speaker and from there disbursements will be made.
v. We have it on authority that monies meant for the Delta State House of
Assembly were paid into the Account of Rt. Hon. Monday Ovwigho Igbuya as
Speaker, and when he was impeached the monies meant for the House were paid
into the Account of Rt. Hon. Chief Sheriff Oborevwori who took over Office
as Speaker.
vi. We are further aware that a great chunk of these monies meant for the Delta State House of Assembly were misappropriated by the respective Speakers and their co-conspirators including the State Governor – Dr. Ifeanyi Okowa.
Vii. Only a few weeks ago another private Bank Account was opened with the Clerk of the House and the Accountant as signatories. The said Account was
clandestinely opened for the purpose of receipt of House subventions. All
this is being done with the understanding of the Accountant-General of the
State.

On the heels of what it calls incontrovertible financial malfeasances, the Nigeria Unemployed Youth Vanguard is urging the EFCC to asamatter of urgency:

• Freeze the Bank Accounts of (a) Rt. Hon. Monday Igbuya, (b) Rt. Hon. Chief
Sheriff Oborevwori (c) the Account opened with the Clerk of the House and
Accountant as signatories.
* Thorough investigations should be initiated on the above individual as in
(i.) above and their co-conspirators including the Governor – Ifeanyi Okowa
– and the State Accountant General for their inglorious roles in diverting
Delta State funds.
• Ensure that due process and strict adherence to financial probity is
complied with in terms of channeling Delta State House of Assembly funds to
her Official Bank Account.
• All existing Court Judgments in relation to financial matters of the House
be complied with.
• Ensure that the financial transactions of the Delta State Government, the
personal transactions of the Delta State Governor – Dr. Ifeanyi Okowa and
every other such related matter are strictly monitored by the Commission to
check the corrupt tendencies of the Governor and his co-travellers.

Contacted for comments on the above matter, Mr.Charles Aniagwu, the Chief Press Secretary to Governor Ifeanyi Okowa told banneronlinenews.com on phone: “We know that it is Cairo that is peddling all these things and we don’t want tojoin issues with him.
“ Begin your investigation by looking at the Court order. What did the Court order say? Tell the people that gave the story to you to give you the Court’s order. Is it possible for subvention tobe paid into aprivate person’s account?” Aniagwu asked.

Also contacted on the issue, Dr. Okorodudu, Political Adviser to the Speaker told banneronlinenews.com on phone that “I am on campaign for the localgovernment elections.

Full text of the petition written by the Empowerment for Unemployed Youth Initiative is presented here below:

30th OCTOBER, 2017.
THE CHAIRMAN,
ECONOMIC AND FINANCIAL CRIMES COMMISSION,
EFCC HEADQUARTERS
ABUJA.

Sir
ILLEGAL DIVERSION OF DELTA STATE HOUSE OF ASSEMBLY FINANCES INTO PRIVATE
ACCOUNTS ON THE ORDERS OF THE GOVERNOR: A PLEA FOR SPEEDY AND THOROUGH
INVESTIGATION
The Empowerment for Unemployed Youth Initiative –CAC 49905- (Nigerian
Unemployed Youth Vanguard) is duly registered with the Corporate Affairs
Commission to champion the cause of the teeming unemployed youth in
Nigeria. As a Civil Society Group we also engage in monitoring and
evaluating the performance of Public Service Institutions and Individuals
in Public Office, identifying and exposing acts of
corruption/fraud/maladministration/ineptitude in Public Offices and
advocating for the overall efficiency of our nation’s public service
system.
As an Organization we strongly believe the absence of due process,
transparency and accountability in the management of public finances
impacts negatively on development and in turn exacerbates the already
worrisome unemployment challenge in Nigeria. Furthermore, the lens of
scrutiny to fish out and/or avert corruption should be increasingly beamed
on the State Governments as they have direct touch with the Masses.
Following scrupulous findings, we have gathered with a tinge of
disenchantment the fraudulent, criminal and conspiratorial diversion of the
finances of the Delta State House of Assembly into private Bank Accounts
since the advent of the Ifeanyi Okowa Administration in Delta State. At
this juncture it is highly imperative that we specifically draw the
attention of your anti-graft Agency to certain specific sorry developments
in the Delta State House of Assembly which reek of high level financial
sleaze and unprecedented financial crimes any State government might have
been mired in to wit the facts are relayed below:
On 24th October, 2014, the Supreme Court Ordered Hon. Edoja Akpodiete,
Member representing Ughelli North Constituency II to vacate the Seat
immediately and within 90 days refund to the State coffers all salaries and
allowances paid to him since 2011 when he wrongfully took the seat.
The Supreme Court further Ordered Hon. Jenkins Duvie Gwede to assume the
Seat as Member representing Ughelli North Constituency II and the due
entitlements to be paid to him.
In flagrant abuse of this Supreme Court Judgment the salaries and
allowances of Hon. Jenkins Duvie Gwede were not paid. This prompted Hon.
Jenkins Gwede to garnishee the accounts of the House through a Court Order.
In order to subvert the law and further flout Court Orders, the Delta State
Governor in cahoots with the leadership of the Delta State House of
Assembly ordered that all finances meant for the House be paid into the
Bank Accounts of the Speaker and from there disbursements will be made.
We have it on authority that monies meant for the Delta State House of
Assembly were paid into the Account of Rt. Hon. Monday Ovwigho Igbuya as
Speaker, and when he was impeached the monies meant for the House were paid
into the Account of Rt. Hon. Chief Sheriff Oborevwori who took over Office
as Speaker.
We are further aware that a great chunk of these monies meant for the Delta
State House of Assembly were misappropriated by the respective Speakers and
their co-conspirators including the State Governor – Dr. Ifeanyi Okowa.
Only a few weeks ago another private Bank Account was opened with the Clerk
of the House and the Accountant as signatories. The said Account was
clandestinely opened for the purpose of receipt of House subventions. All
this is being done with the understanding of the Accountant-General of the
State.
On the heels of these incontrovertible financial malfeasances, we herein
use this medium to call on the EFCC to as a matter of urgency:
Freeze the Bank Accounts of (a) Rt. Hon. Monday Igbuya, (b) Rt. Hon. Chief
Sheriff Oborevwori (c) the Account opened with the Clerk of the House and
Accountant as signatories.
Thorough investigations should be initiated on the above individual as in
(i.) above and their co-conspirators including the Governor – Ifeanyi Okowa
– and the State Accountant General for their inglorious roles in diverting
Delta State funds.
Ensure that due process and strict adherence to financial probity is
complied with in terms of channeling Delta State House of Assembly funds to
her Official Bank Account.
All existing Court Judgments in relation to financial matters of the House
be complied with.
Ensure that the financial transactions of the Delta State Government, the
personal transactions of the Delta State Governor – Dr. Ifeanyi Okowa and
every other such related matter are strictly monitored by the Commission to
check the corrupt tendencies of the Governor and his co-travellers.
We have steadfast and abiding confidence that you will thoroughly
investigate this matter even as we pledge our fervid support for your
Agency.
Please accept our warmest regards.
Yours in service,

Comr. Solomon Adodo
National Coordinator