Delta State chapter of APC welcomes arrest of former Governor Ifeanyi Okowa by EFCC

MEMBERS of the Delta State chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC) have welcomed the recent arrest of former Governor Ifeanyi Okowa  by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) describing it as a step in the right direction.

Yesterday, EFCC officials arrested governor Okowa, who  governed Delta State between 2015 and 2023, over allegations of embezzlement and misappropriation of public funds. According to the APC, this was a great step in the fight against corruption, emphasising that Okowa’s arrest signals a strong commitment by the current administration to address long-standing issues of financial mismanagement and corruption at both the state and national levels.

A member of the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Governor Okowa was the party' vice presidential candidate in the last elections in 2023. Apparently, the charges against him relate to a series of financial dealings involving state funds and other questionable contracts awarded during his tenure.

Valentine Onojeghuo, the publicity secretary of the Delta State chapter of the APC, commended the federal government for its decisive action and urged the EFCC, to continue its thorough investigation into the financial activities of other past state governors and public officials. He added that this move reflects a larger national agenda to clamp down on corruption, promote transparency and ensure that public funds are used for the benefit of ordinary citizens rather than for personal enrichment.

Mr Onojeghuo said:“We in the APC wholeheartedly welcome the news of the arrest of the former governor, Dr Ifeanyi Okowa, who presided over one of the worst cases of financial recklessness and mismanagement on a monumental scale during his eight-year administration. His corrupt practices saw the diversion of humongous state funds for personal enrichment, establishing a bank, and financing his doomed presidential ambition, as well as the manipulative imposition of his puppet godson as governor against the wishes of the people of Delta State who desperately wanted change.”

In addition, the APC noted that the arrest serves as a warning to all public office holders, stressing that the era of impunity is over. It added that no one, regardless of their position or political affiliation, is above the law.