Federal Government has been asked not to spend the £4.2m (N2.2bn) seized from a former Governor of Delta State, James Ibori.
The House of Representatives gave the other during its plenary on Wednesday, saying that the money should be kept intact until the house concludes an investigation of the repatriation process.
The lawmakers stated this as members of the House from Delta State protested against the plan by the government to spend the money without involving the state where the money was looted from.
They asked that the money be returned to Delta State, adding that the actual amount recovered from Ibori was £6.2m and not £4.2m as announced by the Federal Government.
The House resolved to probe the matter.
FirstNews had on Tuesday reported that the Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami (SAN), on Tuesday after signing a Memorandum of Understanding with the UK government for the return of the money, said that the recovered fund would be used for Federal Government projects such as the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway, the 2nd Niger Bridge, and the Abuja-Kano rail.
But on Wednesday, Reps from Delta State, in a motion they jointly signed dragged and moved at the House opposed the decision.
Unanimously adopting the motion, the House asked the federal government to “stop forthwith further appropriation/and or disbursement of recovered loot of the £4.2m pending the final determination of the matter by the House.”
The motion titled ‘Urgent Need to Halt Appropriation of 4.2 Million Pounds Looted Funds Recovered from a Former Governor of Delta State by the Federal Government,’ was sponsored by the Minority Leader, Ndudi Elumelu and Messrs Victor Nwokolo, Nicholas Mutu, Leo Ogor, Nicholas Ossai, Julius Pondi, Ben Igbakpa, Efe Afe, Thomas Ereyitomi, and Francis Waive.
Elumelu, while moving the motion said, “The House notes that the sum of £4.2m, being proceeds of looted funds recovered from a former Governor of Delta State, Chief James Ibori, is being transferred to the coffers of the Federal Government of Nigeria for appropriation without recourse to the Delta State Government and /or parliament in two weeks’ time.
“The House is aware that the said recovered looted funds belongs to the good people of Delta State and, as such, ought to be refunded to the coffers of the Delta State Government for developmental purposes. The House is aware that assets seized by EFCC from states were returned to such states, i.e. Bayelsa and Abia states, etc.
“The House is worried that if the Federal Government is allowed to appropriate the funds without recourse to the Delta State Government, the people of Delta State will be short-changed/deprived of their legitimate resources to improve on the economy of the state as well as provide the requisite infrastructural development for their benefit.
“From all indications and information to Delta State indicate that the actual money is £6.2m and the Federal Government should ensure that the total of £6.2m is credited, not £4.2m as stated.”