The Coalition Against Corrupt Leaders (CACOL) has carpeted the Delta State government, for the payment of N50million as pension to the former Governor of the state, James Onanefe Ibori.
Ibori, after an unsuccessful prosecution in Nigeria, was convicted of money laundering charges in the United Kingdom earlier this year. He is currently serving a 13-year jail term.
Chairman of the group, Debo Adeniran, said the state rewarded corruption and dishonesty in governance. He said it was unfortunate that such money was paid to a man who defrauded his own kinsmen and the electorates.
“It is very disheartening that Delta State government could pay a common criminal like Ibori monthly pension. What is the essence of the payment? To compensate him for bleeding Delta State coffers white during his tenure? Or is he being paid for rendering many hapless and helpless Deltans useless and worthless in his reign? Ibori has been convicted of a fraction of the crimes he committed while in power, and will definitely come back to face the wrath of the Nigerian Law after he might have ended his jail term in the United Kingdom, so he should be deemed to have been dismissed from office and therefore, not entitled to pension”
“It is preposterous on the part of the present crop of people in power in Delta State to have included Ibori in the pension payments. Such a move will further encourage corruption among political office holders when many Nigerians are working frantically to reduce corruption to the barest minimum,”Adeniran added.
The activist urged the anti-graft agencies to be wary of unwarranted payment which according to him is capable of encouraging corruption in the country.
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