Delta State Government on Wednesday said it had not received from the Federal Government the 4.2 million pounds returned by the United Kingdom.
It said that although the Accountant-General of the Federation, Mr Ahmed Idris, had disclosed on Tuesday before the House of Representatives Committee on Recovered Assets, in Abuja, that the funds had been released to the state, the money had not arrived in its coffers.
The government, however, said in a statement by Mr Olisa Ifeajika, Chief Press Secretary to Governor Ifeanyi Okowa, in Asaba, that it was in contact with the Federal Government, especially the Office of the Attorney-General of the Federation, on the issue.
It expressed appreciation for the disposition of the Federal Government in releasing the funds to the state, and assured that it would acknowledge receipt of the funds when it arrives.
The government also assured the Federal Government and Deltans that the funds would, in tandem with Governor Ifeanyi Okowa’s administration’s hallmark, be judiciously deployed especially in the completion of projects it had earlier intimated the Presidency about.
Recall that the federal government said it has finally received from the United Kingdom the £4.2million recovered from former Governor of Delta State, James Ibori’s associates and family members, Nigeria’s Attorney-General of the Federation, Abubakar Malami, said on Tuesday.
This comes about two weeks after Mr Malami said the payment of the money to Nigeria was being delayed by documentation processes in foreign banks.
He however said in a statement on Tuesday that the “naira equivalent value” of the total £4,214,017.66 “has been credited into the designated Federal Government account” since May 10.
His spokesperson, Umar Gwandu, who issued the statement, did not disclose the actual naira equivalent paid into the Nigerian government’s account.
