Group Revisits Controversial Ojougboh’s Allegations Against Okowa, Says It’s Self-serving, Unpatriotic

A self-styled political pressure group, under the auspices of Lagacy Group has revisited the contentious allegations of ‘blank budget’ and misappropriation of N20billion naira Paris Club Refund levelled against Governor Ifeanyi Okowa of Delta State by an All Progressive Congress, APC Chieftain, Dr Cairo Ojougboh and came out with its verdict, describing the allegation as self-serving and unpatriotic.

The group which says its mandate is to monitor developments and evaluate legacies of leaders especially in Delta State as well as monitor and x-ray the utterances and actions of other stakeholders, declared on Wednesday that Governor Okowa was not culpable in the allegations raised by Ojougboh, saying that the former lawmaker did what he did for his selfish political gains.

According to the relatively unknown group, its investigation on the controversial appropriations of the Paris Club Refund across States shows that Delta state government did well in the judicious use of the fund against claims by Ojougboh.

“We consider the alarm raiseOjougboh in which he alleged improper management of the Paris Club refund as a non-issue.

“We believe the reason Dr Ojougboh raised this false alarm is to distract the Government and that is our concern as a group focused on the overall development of the people”.

The group also defended Okowa on the blank budget allegation raised by Ojougboh saying it was unreasaonble, unrealistic and unpatriotic for Ojougboh to levelled such allegation when every well-meaning person can attest to the fact that the Delta State 2017 budget was presented, passed and  signed into law in March 2017.

“Dr Ojougbo’s allegation of a blank budget is another issue we consider unreasaonble, unrealistic and unpatriotic. Apart from the fact that a blank budget cannot exist otherwise it is not a budget, every well-meaning person can attest to the fact that the Delta State 2017 budget was publicly presented in November 2016, passed in February 2017 and signed into law in March 2017 as reported in various media.

“The sectoral allocations in that budget were also well captured in those media reports so the views of Dr Ojougboh in this regard appears self-serving and not targeted at promoting peace and tranquillity, which is the bedrock of development. Again that is why we are concerned!!

In a statement made available to BigPen Online on Wednesday, signed by its Vice President/National Leader, Dr. Chris Okobah, the group alleged that Ojuogboh’s attack on Okowa were political, and self-serving because he wanted the governor to allow him be in control of his Ika South Local Government in terms of elective offices and appointments, without adherence to democratic principles which was denied him prior to his defection.

Okobah, also alleged in the statement that Ojougboh’s anger against Okowa boiled over ostensibly because before his defection, he had undemocratically wanted Governor Okowa to influence PDP hierarchy for him to retain his seat as National Vice Chairman of the PDP, South South but in line with the principles of fairness, equity and justice, the governor could not help him because all the major stakeholders of the PDP in Delta State zoned that position to another Senatorial District other than the Senatorial District of the Governor where Dr Ojougbo belongs.  

Meanwhile, BigPen Online was reliably informed by our dependable sources in the state that Governor Okowa sponsored the group through the office of the Chief Press Secretary, CPS, Mr. Charles Aniagwu before he traveled abroad for his short leave so that it would not appear that the governor has hand in the so-called evaluation by the group.

The source revealed that the press statement read at a media briefing held in Asaba by the group was traced to the governor’s media aide who was instructed to implement damage control on the contentious issues.

BigPen Online reports that the state government has been working on damage control since the issue became public knowledge and the deployment of the governor’s Senior Special Assistant on Orientation,Mr. Eugene Uzum to Channels Television and the supposed opinion of Lagacy Group was part of it.