REACTION
By Ifeanyi Osuoza
The Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Delta State has read with
great concern a press statement issued by the fractured Delta State All
Progressives Party and signed by one Engr. Leonard Obibi, who describes himself
as the State Publicity Secretary (Ag) of the party, linking Governor
IfeanyiOkowa to a report in some national news dailies, alleging that a
Governor from one of the Oil Producing States in Nigeria, diverted $10 million
bail-out fund through a so-called “mistress.”
The
statement by the Delta APC is baseless, unfounded, tendentious, malicious and
deliberately calculated to impugn the integrity of Governor Okowa, whose
reputation as a God-fearing man, astute administrator and good manager of
resources is well known and is driving fear into his enemies. Perhaps, it would
be too much to expect anything more from a party that is filled with renegades,
dubious characters, opportunists and failed politicians.
Suffice it to say that the original report by The Nation newspaper
did not mention Governor Okowa and credited ‘a source within the EFCC’ for the
story. Moreover, the Commission itself has not commented on the story nor
suggested and confirmed their involvement. But the APC is shamelessly dragging
Okowa into what is at best a speculative story and at worst the job of paid
hirelings, in a desperate bid to gain relevance, further proof of their
notoriety as a party of irresponsible and mischievous people. The Delta APC can
be likened to a drowning man clutching at every available straw for survival.
In their
desperation to establish an ethnic link, the Delta APC described Georgina
Onuoha,the central figure in a Facebook altercation relating to the story, as
‘an actress that hails from the Ika-speaking area of Delta State and based in
Texas U.S.A.”But this is a complete lie and misinformation. Georgina Onuoha has
told the world that she is from Ihitte/Uboma Local Government Area of Imo
State. She also disclosed for the benefit of the APC nit wits who know nothing
about the cities in the United States, that she lives in Sacremento,
California, not Texas. So where did the APC get their own information from if
not for mischief purposes?
For the benefit of the unsuspecting public, we wish to make it
abundantly clear that State Governments DO NOT RECEIVE DOLLARS from
the Federal Government, whether FAAC allocation or bail-out funds. So where did
the APC get the information that Delta State received $10 million as bail-out
fund if it is not the figment of their own imagination? If we are to go by
their phantom story, how was it diverted? Was it by wire transfer? How is that
kind of transaction possible given the stringent foreign exchange regulations
currently in place in Nigeria? Or is the Delta APC suggesting that $10 million
was moved by cash through the nation’s airports?
Can
such a huge amount of money be transferred into the United States without
triggering the red flag at both the Financial Intelligence Units in Nigeria and
the United States of America, because they receive, analyse and distribute
financial intelligence gathered from Suspicious Activity Reports (SARs) on per
seconds basis? Can the ailing APC do Deltans a favour by giving us the details
of the account that the $10 million was diverted to since it claimed that the
money has been traced to a particular bank account?
Even as
they torture their feeble minds to grapple with these very simple but critical
posers, we wish to assure the divided and divisive APC in Delta State that
their cheap attempt to cast aspersions on the solid reputation of Governor Ifeanyi
Okowa has failed woefully, as it is already common knowledge that he is a man
of unassailable integrity and great moral rectitude. Governor Okowa will not be
distracted by the antics of these disgruntled politicians.
He
remains irrevocably focused on his stated vision of bringing prosperity to all
Deltans as evident in the fruits of his job creation programme, infrastructural
renewal and agricultural reforms.
Deltans
know better than to believe the APC, a party that has become synonymous with
lies and vile propaganda and has not fulfilled one electoral promise since it
gained power at the centre.
Ifeanyi Michael Osuoza, is Delta PDP's
State Publicity Secretary
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