Disbursement of Recovered Delta-Looted £4.2m at FG’s Discretion – Kokori

Foremost labour leader and former National Secretary-General of the National Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas, NUPENG, Chief Frank Ovie Kokori, has said that how and what the UK recovered Delta state £4.2m be used on, is at the discretion of the federal government.

Kokori, a Chieftain of the All Progressive Congress, APC, said federal government using its discretion over what the fund be used on became necessary as all recovered looted funds given back to state government over the years are either re-looted or end up not being used for the purpose it was released.

Kokori who spoke to Journalists, weekend, at his country home, Ovu, Ethiope East local government area, Delta state, said the federal government can as well use the recovered looted funds for projects in Delta state as the state lacks infrastructures.

He however advocated that if such funds must be released to Delta state, it should not be given directly to the Delta State government, but to be tied to projects in the state and supervised directly by the federal government.

Chief Kokori who accused the Delta State government of corruption, said the state government is known for embezzlement and as well the flagship of corruption in the South South region, and advised that such fund should not be given to the government.

He said; “It is true the federal government does the negotiation for all the looted funds all over the world, and if such funds should go back to the state it was looted, it should be tied to projects in the state.”

On the leadership crisis of APC in the state, Kokori said the party must have learnt its lessons on what it caused the party during the last governorship elections, mostly on division and tendencies and express hope that all these issues would have opened their eyes.

On the recent membership revalidation by Chief Great Ogboru and the turnout of members of the party, Kokori said he was not surprised, saying that Ogboru had always had multitude of followership and had always won elections in the state but being denied by the corrupt judiciary and INEC, urging party members to keep hope alive that APC will make the difference in 2023.