Immediate past governor of Delta State on Thursday described as unfortunate allegations of financial misappropriation raised by elder statesman, Pa. Edwin Clark, against his eight-year tenure.
Okowa said the scathing remarks of the nonagenarian opinion moulder against every outgone governor in Delta State were unbecoming of his status as a respected elder statesman who is supposed to offer valuable advice to sitting governors.
Clark who is the leader of PANDEF, had in a television interview, criticised Okowa, alleging that the sum of N1.7 trillion which accrued to the state under the former governor was misappropriated.
He also accused the ex-governor of betraying southern Nigeria by not only accepting to be running mate to the presidential candidate of the People Democratic Party (PDP), Atiku Abubakar, but also using state resources to fund the campaigns in 2023.
Reacting while addressing journalists in Asaba, Okowa’s spokesman, Olisa Ifeajika said his boss would always respect Pa. Clark as a father, expressing worries however that the issues he raised were not new and were adequately addressed in the recent past.
He said Pa. Clark was being fed with the wrong information, hence the need to once again set the record straight.
“Chief Clark deserved not be ignored, he deserved to be given the accurate information because it seems people are misinforming him. So we cannot be tired of responding,” he said.
According to him, the N150 billion which Pa. Clark alluded to as funds from 13% derivation, Ifeajika explained that it was bridging finance facility which the applied with the approval of the state House of Assembly.
He said the money was part of the N240 billion refund which accrued to the state, adding that the N150 billion bridging facility was later reduced to N100 billion out of which N91 billion was accessed to fund stipulated projects.
Ifeajika said his principal never betrayed southern Nigeria by accepting to be Atiku’s running mate, explaining Okowa acted in the interest of his political party, the PDP.
He also debunked claims that the ex-governor owned a new generation bank, insisting that Okowa and his family had no relationship whatsoever with the said bank, except during his tenure as governor of Delta State.
“We had thought that as a father, Clark should build, support those in authority at all times to do well, that should be the role of an elder statesman which we know him for.
“It is not to wait till the end of their tenure because that has become the norm that all the previous governors that have ruled this state.
“While they are in office, they will be his friends, by the time they leave, our father will begin to pull them down, saying things that are not too right about his children.
“These are children you saw into office, you saw them doing things and at the end, you do things to throw them down.
“It is on record that Okowa has been acknowledged irrespective of the naysayers and critics would say, as having performed superlatively.
“Instead of lampooning, take swipes at Okowa, he should for all intents and purposes be commended for the height has taken Delta from where he met it.
“We don’t know if Clark is questioning, talking about monies that accrued to Delta for eight years. Money that accrued to the state was spent to develop the state and the records are there in the public domain.
“We categorically state, at the risk of comparison, that Okowa stands very tall as one that came to Delta met it the way it was and turned Delta around, that today every Deltan is proud to be from Delta, that today, every Deltan is proud of their respective communities. Deltans are commending him everywhere, even those in the diaspora.
“Okowa has played his role, done his beat, performed to the best of his ability, and it has been acknowledged that he has done well. And we are proud to say truly that he has done very well whether the naysayers or critics believe it or not,” he stated.
