Delta State Governorship Aspirant and sacked Chief of Staff to Delta State Governor, Chief David Edevbie, has been away from London and may not visit soon due to pending cases of fraud against him there, The Union Nigeria has learnt.
Edevbie who is been propelled for governor in 2023 by former Governor of Delta State and English jailed ex-convict, Chief James Ibori, allegedly has pending corruption cases in the United Kingdom, a source told The Union Nigeria.
According to the Source, “Let David Edevbie take a flight to London and take a picture of arrival and show to Deltans if it is not true” the source boasted.
Edevbie has been in the news over allegations of aiding and abetting former Governor, James Ibori in financial escapades which culminated in his conviction.
Although, Edevbie has issued a statement calling for his supporters to be undeterred by the viral messages which he described as ‘campaigns of calumny’, he has not out rightly denied the allegations.
In a viral internet report, titled, “THE SQUANDERING OF THE FUTURE OF DELTA YOUTHS: James Ibori Presents His Major Domo David Edevbie For Governor of Delta State” by one Monday Thomas, it was alleged that David Edevbie is the man who as Commissioner of Finance, made Ibori’s many crimes possible and for which he went to prison.
“Delta people show no outrage and feel no shame or insult as James Ibori fights off every challenger to make David Edevbie governor of Delta State.”
In a detailed allegation, Monday Thomas alleged that Strive Masiyiwa, founder of ECONET, the very first GSM Company in Nigeria, accused James Ibori and his accomplices including David Edevbie of destroying the company which they invested Delta State Government in, due to his failure to approve kickbacks to certain stakeholders.
The report read, “Delta state Government invested State funds in ECONET: “Then came the fateful day when I was told that our company must pay a total of $9m in bribes to senior politicians (in state government) who had facilitated the raising of the money to pay for the license. I refused to authorise the illegal payments. Meeting after meeting was held to try to get me to agree, but I would not.
“The money would not be paid as long as Econet was the operator and I had signing authority. James Ibori, the Governor of Delta State, was demanding $4,5m be paid to him in his personal capacity. He was one of the most powerful men in the country and had a reputation for violence.
“When he heard that I was refusing to approve payment he issued an ultimatum: ___”Pay or I will chase you and your people out of the country.” I refused. The shareholders met and voted Econet Wireless Nigeria out of management. They cancelled our management contract.
“James Ibori and his colleagues personally attended the meeting to remove us. After the meeting one of them (a prominent local businessman even today) came up to me and said: “Unfortunately for you, God does not have a vote.” I had to withdraw all my staff and their families: 200 people in all. We left Nigeria. Most of our people had to be retrenched. The loss of the contract almost drove us to bankruptcy as a group.”
According to the alleged attestation of Strive Masiyiwa, head of ECONET, the multimillion-dollar purchase of ECONET shares was later converted and sold at a premium and the accruals were allegedly credited to James Ibori and not Delta State Government.
“Insiders believe that the money was never paid back to the Delta State treasury.
The report stated that Edevbie was alleged to have “determined and paid himself the finder and brokers fees running to nearly a million dollars.
“With State funds, David Edevbie also allegedly funded the purchase of the Nigerian Fertilizer Company (NAFCON) from the Federal Government, renamed it Notore Chemical Company, but he was careful to cook the books so well as not to reflect the name of James Ibori as the buyer.”
The Union Nigeria, made several efforts to reach Chief David Edevbie to get his reaction to the allegations.
Text messages sent to him were not responded to.
A call placed accross to his phone was rejected after the text message. He did not call back nor respond to further efforts.
