The campaign organization of Ifeanyi Okowa, Governor of Delta State and candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the just concluded 2019 general election, says it has constituted a probe committee to investigate leaders of the party who allegedly diverted the election funds released by the Governor.
Among those to be probed by the committee are the Executive Director, Finance and Administration, Delta State Oil Producing Areas Development Commission (DESOPADEC); the Chairman of Oshimili South Local Government Area, Uche Osadebe, his councillors and other party men alleged to have perpetrated the “fraudulent and corrupt” act to the detriment of the party and the purpose for which the funds were made available for.
The Isoko South and Oshimili South chapters of the PDP in Delta have been rocked by crisis over what aggrieved party members described as “hijack and diversion of election funds released by Okowa”.
While party members in Isoko South had named the Executive Director, Finance and Administration of DESOPADEC and his cohorts, as those behind the diversion of the elections funds, Osadebe, and his councillors were exchanging punches over the diverted funds.
Speaking with journalists in Asaba as part of activities for the celebration of his 57th birthday, Funkekeme Solomon, a member of the state transition committee and Director General (DG), Ifeanyi Okowa Campaign Organisation, said the probe committee shall “investigate the alleged diversion of elections funds and all those who involved in anti-party activities during the elections”.
Though, the DG vehemently refused to name those involved in the funds diversion that would be invited for questioning by the probe committee, he said the committee was set up to investigate such complaints from the party across the 25 local government areas in the state.
“What happened at Oshimili South council was just a misunderstanding between the officers,” he said.
“A committee has been set up to look into anti-party activities, and funds diversion is also an anti-party because its intention is to weaken the party. After elections there were complaints, so the committee is to work across the state, the 25 local government areas. We are looking into all of these and until the report comes out, probably we won’t be able to comment.”
The former Deputy Speaker of the Delta State House of Assembly expressed gratitude for the “massive and undiluted support” given to him and the Okowa administration in the last four years, saying: “I want to express my personal gratitude to you as my colleagues for the support given me and especially Governor Ifeanyi Okowa in the last four years. The support you gave to us as a party and the campaign organisation and your positivity during the general election is deeply appreciated.”
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