£4.2m Ibori Loot’s Refund Recant: What Sort Of Manipulative And Twisted Mind Do You Have, Activist To AGF, Ahmed Idris

Apparently disappointed by the comment made by Accountant-General of the Federation (AGF), Mr. Ahmed Idris that £4.2m Ibori loot has been refunded to Delta State Government which was later recanted, a Niger Delta public affair analyst and activist, Mr. Zik Gbemre has queried the integrity of the AGF.

BIGPENNGR reports the Idris had disclosed on Tuesday May 25, 2021, while appearing before the House of Representatives Committee on Recovered Assets, in Abuja, that the funds had been released to the Delta State Government.

The Delta State Government said although it had opened communication with the office of the Attorney General of the Federation, Abubakar Malami, denied receiving the money from the Federal Government.

However, a statement issued just the next day Wednesday May 26, 2021, by the Director (Information, Press and Public Relations) in the Office of Accountant-General, Henshaw Ogubike, said the money had not been returned as postulated by the AGF.

Reacting to this, Gbemre, in a statement on Saturday said; “It is only an irresponsible Federal Government Official that cares less of what anyone thinks, that would publicly make a statement before lawmakers and Nigerians, and then suddenly turn around the next day to say the opposite…

“I find it rather appalling and quite shameful to say the least, that a Federal Government official of such ranking as the Accountant-General of the Federation (AGF) would publicly say one thing today, and then all of a sudden make a U-turn to say the opposite just the next day. That is how best to describe the latest report that the nation’s AGF, Mr. Ahmed Idris, has clarified that ex-convict James Ibori’s £4.2m loot recently returned to Nigeria from the United Kingdom has not been sent to the Delta State Government, as widely reported just a day before”.

Continuing, Gbemre said; “One then begins to wonder what sort of game are these people playing with Deltans and the Delta State Government as regard the said Ibori’s loot, which was stolen from the Delta State Government treasury during his time in office with the help and collaboration of the then Commissioner of Finance David Edevbie, Ighoyota Amori and Others? Why the insincerity and dilly-dallying over this Ibori’s loot?

“If the same Idris, as the Accountant-General of the Federation, would publicly disclose to the Nigerian public that the said Ibori loot recovered from the UK has been returned to the Delta State Government, then why would the same Idris, through his Office, make a volte-face over the same public disclosure? He even told the House of Representatives Committee that such funds looted from the treasury of a State are always returned to the State when repatriated. The question now is, what happened? Why the delay in returning the said funds to Delta State?

From the statement issued, it read: “The Office of the Accountant General of the Federation (OAGF) wishes to put the records straight regarding the widely circulated media report on the £4.2m Ibori Loot. The issue of the £4.2m Ibori Loot has not been properly resolved. THE MONEY IS STILL BEING AWAITED, AFTER WHICH THE ISSUES AROUND IT WILL BE RESOLVED BEFORE FURTHER ACTION IS TAKEN. For now, no money has been returned to Delta State. This explanation is without prejudice to the proceedings at the public hearing that took place yesterday during which the AGF was only making general comments about recoveries relating to State Governments. This is the true position as regards the £4.2m Ibori Loot.”

Speaking further, Gbemre said; “The question is, if this is the true position of things regarding the Ibori loot, which the office of the Accountant-General of the Federation is in the best position to know, then why would that same Office of the Accountant-General come publicly to first tell the nation that the said Ibori loot has been recovered from the UK, and then later say that it has been returned to the Delta State Government? What sort of manipulative and twisted minds are these people displaying here? It simply does not make sense, neither does it speak well of sanity and integrity of the holders of that exalted Office of the Accountant-General of the Federation.

“I believe there is need for the Federal Government to call to order those occupying the Office of the Accountant-General of the Federation. We cannot have such public officials playing with the minds and hopes of Nigerians regarding sensitive issues with their careless and carefree public statements.

“It is only an irresponsible Federal Government Official that cares less of what anyone thinks, that would publicly make a statement before lawmakers and Nigerians, and then suddenly turn around the next day to say the opposite. I would also ask the lawmakers should not take this insult and public disgrace as a joke. They should take whatever necessary action that is required to put the AGF Office in order. Public Officials should be seen to say what they mean, and mean what they say”.