Delta State Governor Ifeanyi Okowa has begun to use anti craft body, EFCC to intimidate and harass his political opponents in a desperate move to seek 2019 reelection.
It was gathered that the governor on Tuesday flew in to Asaba, the State capital, officials of the Economic Financial and Crimes Commission (EFCC) to interrogate and arrest former officials of the immediate past governor administration of Mr. Emmanuel Uduaghan.
The EFCC officials, we reliably learned, arrived the State capital Asaba on Tuesday by flight paid by the principal secretary to Okowa, Mr. Hilary Ibegbulem and were lodged in a hotel. They are said to be working under the instructions of the governor, according to sources.
The commission officials who spent two days in Asaba were stationed at the Office to the Secretary of the State Government (SSG), Mr. Ovie Agas, where former Permanent Secretaries, who served under the Uduaghan’s administration, and staffers of the Ministry of Science and Technology, were vigorously interrogated for financial misconduct and corruption.
It was further learnt that shortly after the two days of interrogation, the immediate past permanent secretary and former 2015 PDP governorship aspirant, Mr. Tony Obuh, and two other persons, were arrested by the EFCC operatives, and whisked away to Abuja for further questioning on the orders of Okowa.
A Source from the office of the SSG who craved anonymity disclosed that permanent secretaries in all ministries were ordered to submit all relevant government documents to EFCC operatives in the center at the SSG’s office.
“In the next few weeks, another set of the operatives of the commission will be visiting the state again to invite and carry more investigations on more persons seen as obstacle to the governor before, during and after the elections.
”In our ministry here, the governor has already directed our commissioner, Barr. Peter to be collating documents and other papers to be forwarded to anti-corruption agencies to arrest and prosecute some officials of the immediate past administration. Government officials have been warned not to speak to any journalist on the issue,” another staff at the Justice ministry stated.
A government house source who does not want her name mentioned hinted that Governor Okowa is not happy with his predecessor for sponsoring former 2015 PDP governorship aspirant, Mr. Tony Obuh, and others against him during the PDP primaries, and has vowed to use anti-corruption agents to hurt those who stood against him.
One of the officials of the EFCC who confided in this medium revealed that they are in the State on the invitation of the governor to investigate some persons especially officials of the past administration as well as lawmakers.
“For the last two days we have been in town scrutinizing relevant government documents both for contract awards and others in the conference room of the office of the secretary to the state government. We shall be back again but for the now we are going with Obuh and two other persons to our office in Abuja,” the EFCC official stated.
A family member of Mr. Obuh who simply identified himself as Mr. Chuks confirmed the arrest of Mr. Tony Obuh by officials of the EFCC, accusing governor Ifeanyi Okowa of inviting the operatives of the commission to Delta state to arrest their brother because of politics.
We further gathered that next in line to be invited for grilling is the former speaker and 2015 PDP governorship aspirant, Mr. Victor Ochei, who is now member of the All Progressives Congress (APC). Relevant documents connect him to a multi-billion naira Delta state Independent Power Plant (IPP) contract that was submitted to the commission by the state governor.
When contacted, the State Commissioner for Information, Mr. Patrick Ukah, said he was not aware and promised to get in touch with the Secretary to the State Government (SSG) and get back but never did while the Secretary to the State Government (SSG), Mr. Ovie Agas, hung up his phone immediately our reporter mentioned the issue.
