ABACHA LOOT: NIGER DELTA REGION MUST NOT BE LEFT OUT, CLARK TELLS BUHARI

TRACKING______FORMER Federal Commissioner for Information and South South Leader, Chief Edwin Clark, Thursday urged President Muhammadu Buhari not to leave out the Niger Delta region from the recovered General Sani Abacha Loot.

In a statement from London to TrackNews yesterday, the Elderstateman lamented that the Federal Government has deliberately abandoned the East-West Road, which is the most important economic road in Nigeria.

According to Clark, the marginalization, oppression, injustice and neglect of the Niger Delta Region, will not be allowed to continue forever, adding that the people of the Region demand that the Federal Government should include the completion of the East-West Road as one of the major infrastructural projects to be developed, using the Abacha loot.

Clark’s statement is titled, “The Niger Delta Region, is again, left out of benefiting from the recovered Abacha loot-”

The statement read, “While I congratulate President Muhammadu Buhari on the recovery of another Abacha loot to the tune of $308 million, I, however, observe that again, the Niger Delta Region is left out in the infrastructure development in the Country both in the 2020 Budget of the Federal Government, and in the distribution of the recovered Abacha loot for infrastructural development.

“I notice that the only Road projects to benefit from the recent Abacha loot are the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway (Western Region), the Abuja-Kano (Northern Region) and the 2nd Niger Bridge (Eastern Region) and which is merely meant for the eastern part of the Country, even though it starts from Asana in Delta State. This, indeed, is a demonstration of the Federal Government’s repeated and deliberate neglect of the Niger Delta Region, even though the Abacha loot came substantially, from the Region.

“It must be admitted that the revenue that accrued to the Federal Government, which was deposited in the Central Bank of Nigeria, from where Abacha looted them, is the product of oil and gas revenue derived from the oil and gas fields/industries in the Niger Delta Region.

“But the Federal Government, has again, deliberately abandoned the East-West Road which is about the most important economic road in Nigeria, which was started over 10 years ago, even when the collapsed part of the road has been left to the State Governments of the Region to repair, particularly the recent total collapse of the part from Benin in Edo State to Warri in Delta State.

“The question one asks oneself is, is the Niger Delta not part of Nigeria? It is indeed most offensive and insulting to the people of the Region when in response to our complaints and agitation, some arm chair politicians who were never voted for, by the people of Nigeria, would shamelessly reply that the establishment of the Niger Delta Development Commission and the Presidential Amnesty Programme were generously given to us, and yet we complain.

“This marginalization, oppression, injustice and neglect of the Niger Delta Region, will not be allowed to continue forever. The people of the Region demand that the Federal Government should include the completion of the East-West Road as one of the major infrastructural projects to be developed using the Abacha loot.

“Finally, I once again congratulate President Muhammadu Buhari on the most recent recovery of the Abacha loot, but to also add that most Nigerians were not satisfied with similar Abacha loot recovered from Geneva as to how it was expended. It Is, therefore, very gratifying that this particular loot is being tied to road infrastructural development in the Country.”

Recall that the United States government on Tuesday mandated the Nigerian government to place in a secured account the soon to be repatriated $308million recovered from the family of the late former Head of State, Gen. Sani Abacha.

The Spokesperson for the US State Department, Morgan Ortagus, said in a statement the Federal Government would be required to replace the fund if it is stolen from the account.

This requirement, according to her, was one of the agreements reached between the US, Nigeria and the Island of Jersey where the funds are being kept.

She said the arrangement was consistent with the commitments both the US and Nigeria made under the principles agreed at the 2017 Global Forum on Asset Recovery co-hosted by the US and the United Kingdom.

Nigeria has recovered over $1billion from the money looted by the late dictator who ruled Nigeria from 1993 to 1998.