By Nosa Akenzua,Asaba
No fewer than 108 chairmen of political parties in the South-South geopolitical zone have vowed to drag the Federal Government to court, should it refuse to refund the repatriated Ibori funds to Delta State.
The United Kingdom (UK) and Nigeria has signed an agreement for the return of the funds which amounted to N2.4 billion at the official exchange rate, a development which triggered controversy over the rightful source of the money.
In his argument, the Attorney-General of the Federation (AGF) Abubakar Malami claimed that “the major consideration relating to who is entitled to a fraction or perhaps the money in its entirety is a function of law and international diplomacy”.
But in a communiqué issued by the South-South Political Parties Coalition (SSPPC) at the end of its meeting on April 9, 2021, the group accused the Federal Government of being overtly desperate to claim the funds which belonged to Delta State Government.
The statement jointly signed by the National Chairman, Prince Favour and nine others, said, “it has never been heard in history that recoveries of this manner are generally shared, other than refunding and reimbursing the source of the loot”.
“SSPPC frowns at the desperation of the Federal Government in their attempt-to-rob-Peter-to-pay-Paul attitude in the clear circumstances that the funds returned is rightly and solely a Delta State Government and her people’s money. “Therefore SSPPC, the voice of the Niger Delta people, has resolved to back and support the Delta State Government and her people in the pursuit for the refund of their money, and we will not hesitate to challenge the actions of the Federal Government in a competent law court”. the group said.
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