How Ex-Gov Okowa embezzled N1.760trn, Edwin Clark writes EFCC, says 13% DESOPADEC derivation funds misappropriated

Abuja, NIGERIA — Pan-Niger Delta Forum (PANDEF) convener, Edwin Clark has alleged that Ifeanyi Okowa, former governor of Delta, misappropriated the state’s derivative fund amounting to N1.760 trillion.

Clark said he had written to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) about Okowa’s, misappropriating over N1 trillion of the 13 per cent oil derivation fund for the state.

Clark, who spoke in an interview on Wednesday, said the former governor “autocratically mismanaged the funds”.

He said the funds embezzled by the ex-governor are the federation account to oil-producing communities through state governments as contained in section 162 (2) of Nigeria’s 1999 Constitution (as amended).

The Niger Delta leader said he and others had been blaming the federal government for the lack of development in the South-South without knowing that the governors in the region have been “stealing the money” for the region’s development.

Last year, Garba Shehu, the spokesperson to then President Muhammadu Buhari, released details of the oil derivation funds released to nine oil-producing states, with Delta State said to have received the highest allocation totalling N296.63 billion.

Clark said the revelations prompted him to confront Okowa, through a letter, to account for the funds.

“He (Okowa) said he had been spending the money. The answer they gave me was that they spent N5 billion on paying pensioners. How does that come under 13 per cent?” He said.

“And they also spent the money building a university in Okowa’s village. I mentioned in the letter [to the EFCC] that Okowa has 13 companies. I told him he put the 13 percent (derivation funds) into these 13 companies and let him deny it,” he alleged.

He said he was dissatisfied with the former governor’s response and had to hire a lawyer who obtained, from the accountant general’s office, the certified copy of all the derivation funds paid to the state from 2007 to December 2022.

“The one paid to Delta State came to N1.767 trillion,” he said.

Clark said the law establishing the Delta State Oil Producing Areas Development Commission (DESOPADEC) noted that 50 per cent of the 13 per cent should be given to the DESOPADEC. However, the governor held the whole funds.

DESOPADEC is an interventionist agency established to manage a 13 per cent oil derivation fund to drive infrastructural development of the oil-producing communities in the state.

He added that Okowa sidelined the Delta State Oil Producing Areas Development Commission (DESOPADEC).

“The one paid to Delta state came to N1.767 trillion. Instead of paying 50 percent (of the N1.760 trillion) to the DESOPADEC as provided by the law, which is automatic, he now held the 13 percent fund — the entire money, dishing out instalmentally and approving every contract the DESOPADEC had awarded.

“So, Okowa has embezzled our money. It’s not even accounted for in his annual budget.”

According to Clark, the 17 southern governors ahead of the 2023 presidential election had resolved to oppose any party that presents a northern presidential candidate in their primaries, but Okowa went behind his colleagues to team up with Alhaji Atiku Abubakar.

He described the immediate-past governor of Delta State, Ifeanyi Okowa as a crafty man who presents himself as a good person.

Clark alleged that Okowa emerged as Atiku’s running mate for the 2023 presidential election on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) after spending Delta State money for Atiku’s campaign.

“Let me tell you the reason why the whole of southern Nigeria regard Okowa as a traitor. Let me tell you, he is a betrayer. Okowa volunteered to host a meeting of the 17 governors of the south. He provided accommodation for everyone one of them. He provided his secretariat, I know the person who was the secretary to the government at the time. They were there, they drafted the communique supervised by him and given to Akeredolu to read. He read it, then they all went to Lagos to confirm it, they went to Enugu to confirm it, not knowing that the same Okowa was spending our money for Atiku. I asked him in my letter to answer it”.

Clark further said that Okowa deceived his colleagues alleging that the Delta State delegates that participated in the PDP primary election ignored Nyesom Wike and Emmanuel Udom and cast their votes for Atiku, despite the southern governors’ resolution against northern presidential candidates.

“The delegates of the PDP primary, who did they vote for? Did they vote for Wike or for Emmanuel Udom of Akwa Ibom? They all voted for Atiku. So, he deceived his colleagues that we should produce the president from the south only to team up with Atiku to betray us. All the governors know about that. He is a man who is very ambitious, quiet, and giving a wrong impression about himself that he is a very good man. Very crafty man!”, he said.

You’ll recall that in September 2021, southern governors unanimously agreed that the 2023 presidency must be zoned to their region for the sake of justice and fairness.

But days after the PDP primaries, Atiku picked Okowa as his running mate for the 2023 presidential election.

On the 30th anniversary of the annulment of the June 12 presidential election, Chief Clark decried the rate of corruption at all levels of government.

“Corruption in the country is so high, which I have always said since 2014, that the government should declare a state of emergency on corruption,” said Mr Clark, a former Federal Commissioner for Information.

He added, “The rate at which corruption is going on in the country is terrible where every arm of government cannot be trusted.”

Mr Clark tasked Nigerians to ensure the country remains peaceful and crisis-free despite its numerous challenges.

“We all desired that we live in a country that is peaceful, that is free from crisis, security and economic challenges and the low corruption level,” he said.

The 96-year-old national leader called for a peaceful country where all Nigerians were equal before the law.

“When we were in the 2014 National Conference as elder statesmen, we made a lot of recommendations for the survival of Nigeria as a country.

“A united country free from crisis, where all the citizens are equal before the law, and anyone of them can rise to any position you want to lead,” he said.

He said the immediate past administration in the country did not provide the necessary ingredients for Nigeria’s democracy to grow.

“Everything was done by the executive, and the ninth Assembly did not perform well.

“Many Nigerians accused them of rubber stamping, and today we are owing so much money which would have been debated on the floor of the chamber,” he said.

On Mr Tinubu’s administration, which is a few weeks old, Mr Clark declined to comment.

“I don’t want to comment on that one much because the election tribunals are still sitting.

“I don’t want to make statements that are prejudicial. So let the law take its normal course.”