***Demands that he accounts for over N250b 13% derivation
Elder statesman and former Federal Commissioner for information and South South Leader, Edwin Clark has asked Governor Ifeanyi Okowa of Delta State to resign immediately as Vice Presidential Candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) for betraying his colleagues in the Southern Governors Forum and the south generally
Clark also accused Okowa of using money belonging to Delta people to fund his campaign with Atiku.
He asked the governor to publicly apologise to the people of the south and withdraw from the race.
He also accused the govrnor of corruptly misusing about #250B 13% derivation fund which he collected from the Federal Government as he demanded that he gives account of every kobo of that money to Delta people
At a press conference in Abuja on Thursday where he read the letter to the Governor, Dated 2nd of Februray 2023 titled ‘Your government and the reign of unaccountability in Delta State’ he accused the Delta Governor of betraying and deceiving everyone in order to cover up his selfish ambition through a nefarious plots, by voluntarily inducing everyone to host a meeting of the 17 Southern Governors in Government House Asaba on Tuesday, 11th May 2021.
“I can therefore understand why you have deliberately and immorally betrayed your colleagues of Southern Nigeria and the people for your own selfish ambition by wanting to land on a safer ground by accepting to serve as running mate to Alhaji Atiku Abubakar.
“No, by God’s grace, your prayer will not be answered. Perhaps you have forgotten the gravity of the offense you have committed against the people of Southern Nigeria.
“You gave them a very good reception and provided them a secretariat that drafted the communiqué under your supervision, which was ably read by the Chairman of the Southern Governors Forum, Governor Rotimi Akeredolu of Ondo State.
“It was indeed a bombshell, as you collectively demanded for Southern Presidency and insisted that none of you should accept to be a Vice President.
“Shortly afterwards, the Southern and Middle-Belt Leaders Forum (SMBLF), which I lead, gave the governor’s declaration 100% support and declared that no Southern serving Governors, Legislators or Politicians should accept to be running mate, particularly to Atiku Abubakar.
According to him, The 17 Governors later met again in Lagos and Enugu to affirm the decision taken in Government House Asaba.
“Little did we know that you were using this to perfect your secret plan to be running mate to Atiku Abubakar from the very beginning.
He said without discussing with the people he was discussing with Atiku, “This man has betrayed us and we can no longer trust him’
“We are therefore not surprised that you directed all the delegates from Delta State not to vote for Governor Nyesom Wike of Rivers State or Governor Udom Emmanuel of Akwa Ibom State who are your neighbours but instead, they voted massively for Atiku Abubakar during the PDP Presidential Primaries last year.
“It would be recalled in 2007, that Delta State finances were used in funding part of the election of Umaru Musa Yar’Adua through the directive of President Olusegun Obasanjo. We were therefore not surprised when you too have decided to finance Atiku Abubakar with Delta People’s money because; there is nobody to challenge you. I repeat, you will not succeed.
“It is therefore in your own interest to openly apologise to your colleagues of both APC and PDP whom you deceived in taking a decision you never believed in. After your unreserved apology to your people and Southern Nigeria, you should step down your ambition of becoming Vice-Presidential candidate of the PDP. There your honour lies
“They received 13 per cent derivation fund under Section 162 (2) have been using the money as if they were part of the security money.
“The recent statement by the governor of Rivers State that Delta state had received more than N200 billion through President Buhari. It shocked all of us.
“There is nothing to show for it in the oil producing communities. That is why we have the youths wanting to say we do want to allow this governor to stay without accounting for our money.
“As things went on, the governor now replied, they were angry why Wike should say so.
“So the purpose of this government is to run down a number of issues, maladministration, vindictiveness, arrogance, looking down upon people, not been sincere. Without me, it would have been difficult for him to become governor of Delta State.
“What shocked me was that our governor without discussing with any one of us was working with a presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar without our knowing. Meanwhile, he had the impunity and the arrogance of negotiating with Atiku as his running mate.
“This man has betrayed us. We all agreed, we held serious of meetings that this man had betrayed us. We can no longer trust.
“We ask the governor of Delta to account for the 13 per cent. Why he alone should use the 13 per cent fund to develop his little village to be announced as township. Meanwhile areas like Warri and other places are not been developed.
“We have no secretariat. The same Okowa pretended that he is using a Chinese company to build a secretariat.”
