The Delta State chapter of the All Progressives Congress has praised the arrest of former Delta State Governor, Senator Ifeanyi Okowa, by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission.
The party described the arrest as a significant move in Nigeria’s fight against corruption.
In a statement released on Tuesday, Delta APC Publicity Secretary Valentine Onojeghuo stated, “Okowa’s arrest signifies the administration’s dedication to tackling financial mismanagement and corruption at both state and federal levels.”
Okowa, who served as governor from 2015 to 2023, was arrested on Monday over allegations of diverting N1.3 trillion from a 13 percent derivation fund meant for Delta State.
According to reports, he was detained after being invited to the EFCC office in Port Harcourt, where investigators were looking into claims of financial misconduct involving state funds and questionable contracts.
Delta APC’s statement commended the Federal Government and urged the EFCC to pursue similar investigations into other former governors and officials. “The fight against corruption must be thorough and unwavering, and we commend the administration’s efforts in this regard,” the statement added.
APC claimed that Okowa’s administration “funnelled significant state resources into personal ventures, including establishing a bank, financing a failed presidential ambition, and supporting the controversial imposition of a successor.” The party further emphasized that Okowa’s arrest should be “a caution to all public officeholders” and insisted that “no one, irrespective of position or political affiliation, is above the law.”
They also criticized Okowa’s administration for the state’s high debt profile, saying, “The legacy of Dr. Ifeanyi Okowa’s administration is a high debt profile resulting from a reckless borrowing spree, which earned him the nickname ‘Borrow Borrow Governor.’”
The statement further accuses Okowa of poor infrastructure projects, noting that “the few substandard roads he constructed, often hailed as the ‘roadmaster,’ have deteriorated rapidly.”
