The Delta State Government has distanced the state Governor, Dr. Ifeanyi Okowa, from an online report claiming he defrauded the state of $10m, only to lose the money to an unnamed girlfriend living in the United States of America.
The money, it was reported, was part of the bailout given to the state by the Federal Government to offset workers’ salaries.
The Nation newspaper on Saturday, January 28, 2017 reported that an unnamed Niger Delta governor lost a diverted bailout sum of $10m to a girlfriend. Quoting sources in the Economic and Financial
Crimes Commission, the newspaper stated that the serving governor was already under probe by the EFCC.
The state Commissioner for Information, Mr. Patrick Ukah, in a statement on behalf of the government, stressed that there was no iota of truth in the story that it was Okowa who lost the money to a girlfriend.
Ukah said:
“We are appalled by the attempt to link Governor Okowa with the story by online media. We find it ridiculously tasteless and mischievous. This can only be part of the unrelenting campaign of calumny and the ceaseless peddling of pernicious propaganda against the person and the office of the Delta State Governor.
“For the record, the state government has several times in the past given account of how the bailout the state got from the Federal Government was used. We will not repeat ourselves here.
“Governor Okowa is a responsible family man and a well respected public figure.
“His preoccupation has been and continues to be how to deliver on his promised S.M.A.R.T agenda to the good people of Delta State since he came to office. And he has received applause and commendations from far and near for being so focused and unrelenting in the pursuit of his vision for the state.”
The statement warned that if
“those who are bent on carrying out their devious and dubious campaign of calumny against the governor refuse to stop this infamous trade of theirs, we reserve the right to take any action deemed appropriate to seek redress.”
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