FG vs Delta: Reps move to halt appropriation of £4.2m recovered Ibori loot

The House of Representatives has urged the Federal Government to halt the appropriation of 4.2 million pounds recovered from former Gov. James Ibori of Delta.

The resolution followed a unanimous adoption of a motion by Minority Leader Ndudi Elumelu (PDP-Delta) at plenary on Wednesday.

Recall that Nigeria’s Attorney General and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami, had said that President Muhammadu Buhari directed that the returned loots be deployed for the completion of the second Niger Bridge, the Lagos-Ibadan expressway and the Abuja to Kano expressway.

Malami said this shortly after the British High Commissioner to Nigeria, Ms. Catriona Laing expressed the country’s readiness to return looted assets worth £4.2 million to Nigeria.

But, Elumelu said the 4.2 million pounds, being proceeds of looted funds recovered from former Gov. James Ibori was being transferred to the coffers of the federal government for appropriation.

According to him, this is without recourse to the Delta Government.

The Rep member said the money belonged to the people of Delta and should be refunded to the coffers of the State Government for developmental purposes.

Elumelu said the assets seized by the Economic Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) from other states were returned to those states as the case in Bayelsa and Abia.

“If the federal government is allowed to appropriate the fund without recourse to the Delta Government, the people of the state will be shortchanged.

“They will be deprived of their legitimate resources to improve on the economy of the state as well as provide the requisite infrastructure for their benefit,” NAN quoted him as saying.

The house, however, mandated its Committees on Finance, Justice and Recovered Funds to investigate the matter.

The lower chambers urged the Ministry of Finance to stop the disbursement, pending the final determination of the matter by the House.

The House also requested the Ministry of Finance and Attorney General of Federation to furnish it with all particulars relating to the money.

Deputy Speaker, Ahmed Wase also mandated the committees to conclude investigations and report to the House within two weeks