EXPOSED: How Okowa’s Aides, Steal Millions Of Naira From Ailing Delta Line; + How Governor’s Wife Wreck Establishment

Investigations have revealed how ailing Delta Line Transport Services Limited, operators of Delta Line Buses was mismanaged, looted and wreck by administration of Governor Ifeanyi Okowa of Delta state.

BigPen Online can authoritatively report that the Governor’s wife, Mrs Edith, his Senior Special Assistant (SSA), on Transport, Charles Uwaje, and the Commissioner for Transport, Mr. Vincent Uduaghan are neck deep in the alleged fraud which made the transport company now comatose.

Dependable sources told this medium that the Governor’s wife apparently institutionalise corruption, and fraud in the transport company through Vincent Uduaghan and Charles Uwaje who allegedly stole the company blind unhindered.

As if it was their private business entity, the Governor’s wife before the transport company became moribund, ordered the release through the duo 25 buses of Delta Line which was reportedly used for three consecutive days at the expense of the company with no money paid.

A very credible source from the viable Lagos Office of the transport company told BigPen Online that the transport company has been a cash cow of the Commissioner for Transport and the governor’s aide who ran the entity like private business.

Documents obtained by this medium revealed that from January to July this year over N15 million have been allegedly looted from the company by Mr. Uwaje alone using a cashier in the company, one Shola Oweh and two others who the Commissioner and SSA apparently used as fronts to siphon millions of naira from the company’s treasury.

It was gathered that hundreds of millions of naira that supposed to accrued to the company were diverted and remitted to Uwaje and Vincent Uduaghan who operate the company as their conduit pipe to steal government’s money.

BigPen Online also learnt that against claims that the company was no longer viable hence the privatization, finding shows that since inception of Okowa as governor till date over N200 million profits have been lodged into the following Delta Line, station lodgement accounts, Eco Bank: 2152013803, Zenith Bank:1011009840, Union Bank: 0034717078, UBA:1001226305.

Despite all the lodgement, Governor Okowa owed staff of the establishment several months salaries, no thanks to report sent to him by the SSA and Commissioner that the firm no longer has commercial value.

Our source confided that several petitions sent to Okowa over these issues were not attended to ostensibly because those involved in the deals which grounded the establishment are his kitchen cabinet members.

Further investigations, revealed that outside imprests, the sum of N3.6 million is released every month from the Ministry of Transport by the commissioner to the governor’s aide on transport, Uwaje as imprests for maintenance and repairs of broken down vehicles, but rather than use it for the purpose it was been released, the aide will divert same to his pocket.

“Uwaje, has always made selected station managers to remit to his private pocket N100, 000, N150, 000, and N200, 000 every fortnight for his private use without records.

“Apart from taking monies from the station managers, there are other illicit methods used to remit money to the SSA. The illicit deal in Delta Line is carried out in this way.

“Once the buses with the following numbers 838, 225, 886, 842, 822, 825, 905, 903, 847, 891 and other selected buses finished load passengers, no one is allowed to take records or manifest the buses.

“On daily basis this illicit act is carried out at the Asaba loading bay, Koka, Ughelli, Asaba, Lagos, Sapele, Warri and other selected stations across the country, after which, monies gotten are signed for by the cashier, Mr. Oweh who will in turn remit same to private pocket of Okowa’s aide.

“How can it be viable when the first lady will come and take away 25 buses for three good days without paying a dime, its the company that will fuel the vehicles and motivate the drivers for her and governor Okowa is seated in his office saying Delta Line is not viable. Sometimes in May, this year, the first lady requested for 25 buses from Delta Line, which she used for good three days without a dime, so tell me how can such company generate money in such situation.?” the source queried.

BigPen Online recalls that Governor Okowa had through the state Commissioner for Information, Mr. Patrick Ukah said, Delta Line was no longer viable hence it was put out for sale.

This was also corroborated by statement made by the Chief Press Secretary to Governor Charles Aniagwu who has been running from pillar to post doing “damage control,” over the partial sale of the establishment.

According to him, the state government only divested 60 percent of its equity shares to ensure greater efficiency and improved profitability in the state owned transport service.

The State Commissioner for Finance, David Edevbie, the Commissioner for Economic Planning, Kingsley Emu and Okowa’s close ally, Lulu sealed the deal in which Delta Line was partially sold with the sum of N161million to the Ajaere family, owners of God-Is-Good Motors.

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