AN official of the Delta State government who allegedly misappropriated funds disbursed to his care for the management of a flood victim’s camp in the state has been ordered to refund the funds to government coffers.
The order was given by the state governor, Dr. Emmanuel Uduaghan, at the Government House on Tuesday night during a meeting where the recent flood situation in the state was under review.
He ordered the official, who was in charge at Illah flood victims’ camp, to refund the money collected since the camp was opened on Sept. 24.
The governor also directed the Commissioner for Special Duties, Dr Tony Nwaka, to enforce the order.
Addressing the issue of the daily cash allowance made available to the encamped flood disaster victims, Uduaghan gave hopes that their allowance may be increased, saying he would henceforth make the figures public.
Uduaghan, however, hinted that the government may increase the daily cash allowance for the management of the camps, adding “I am going to be announcing the figures openly in all our meetings”.
He said that there was sufficient food to meet the needs of all the flood victims in the 24 camps in the state.
The governor also expressed surprise that the official alleged to have misappropriated government funds was allowed to remain at the camp, long after the alleged act.
“I am surprised that the man was still allowed to remain in that camp for so long”, Uduaghan said, expressing disgust at the spate of sharp deals that appeared to have characterized the management of flood victims’ camp funds.
“Any official misappropriating camp money, flood will run in the person’s stomach. If you enrich yourself at the expense of the victims, you will regret it.
“It is inhuman and unfair for anyone to deprive the victims of food, and people doing this will reap the reward; if it does not affect you now, it will certainly do so somehow, someday.
“You cannot short-change the flood victims to make money for yourself; such money will never be useful to you. You can never use it well for yourself,” he said.
He said the official, who was deployed to the camp from the Bureau for Special Duties, should be removed from the camp immediately.