Delta State Government Pays Jailed Former Governor Ibori N50 Million Pension

The former governor of Delta State, Chief James Ibori, seems to be getting richer by the day, even though he is currently languishing a British penitentiary.

According to a report, the government of Delta State has just paid the former governor N50 million as pension for looting governing the state for 8 years.

In a statement, the Executive Chairman of Coalition Against Corrupt Leaders (CACOL), Mr. Debo Adeniran, noted that paying such an amount to the former governor amounts to rewarding corruption and encouraging its perpetrators.

“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.”
Adeniran described as “preposterous” on the part of current leadership of Delta State to have incorporated Ibori into its 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,” he said.

Now we know where those monies paid to congratulate fellow looters in the newspapers come from. What a shame!