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The Ijaw Rights Advocate, a Non-Governmental Organisation (NGO) dedicated to working towards the development of the Ijaw ethnic nationality, has appealed to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, to investigate the $1 million repatriated from the United States of America being funds said to have been recovered from one-time governor of Bayelsa State, late Diepreye Solomon Peter Alamieyeseigha.
The call was made by the President of the Ijaw Right Advocate, Dr. Feghala Gordon, and other members, following a press conference on August 13, 2024, in Yenegoa, Bayelsa State capital.
The recovered money came after the then Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami (SAN), and the US Government signed an agreement for the repatriation of the money with the understanding that it would be used to execute some health projects in Bayelsa State.
According to the group, “there is no evidence that such project was ever executed. The repatriation agreement was signed between the two countries on February 16, 2023 in Abuja.
“Under the terms of the agreement, the said money would be deployed to fund the building of health centers in the eight local government areas of Bayelsa State,” the group said.
Ijaw Rights Advocate stated that on May 1, 2023, the project was advertised in national newspapers by the Federal Ministry of Justice through an Expression of Interest for service providers to be engaged for the project.
Affirming that it had been monitoring the bid process ever since, the group noted that nothing has been heard about it.
“Our team of evaluators from the Ijaw Rights Advocate has gone round the eight LGAs of the State and nothing of such is on ground and we are appealing to the President Tinubu, for his intervention in this matter, so that the said money is not re-looted again”, the group said.
The group said the investigation should establish when the repatriation was effected; where the fund is domiciled; the companies the Federal Attorney General contracted to execute the projects, the location of the health centers, and the role, if any, played by the Government of Bayelsa State.