By Vivian Okejeme Abuja
The controversy over the deduction of $1billion from Excess Crude Account to fight insurgency rages on, with the chairman, Nigerian Governors’ Forum, Alhaji Abdulaziz Yari; and the Ekiti state Governor, Mr. Ayodele Fayose, openly disagreeing on the decision. At the end of a National Economic Council meeting recently in Abuja, the governors approved the sum for the federal government to tackle insurgency.
While Yari who is also the Zamfara state governor insisted the resolution was reached at the forum’s meeting in November, Fayose countered , saying he was never part of such decision.
They separately spoke to State House correspondents at the end of an emergency meeting of the NGF in the Presidential Villa, Abuja, yesterday. Yari said: “Nigeria Governors Forum discussed this issue at our November meeting and we agreed across party lines that this thing has been done in 2014 where $2bn was withdrawn in agreement with the governors at that meeting. Governor Akpabio was the one that moved the motion.
“This time, we realised that there was the need to purchase equipment for the military. So, we felt we should not compromise the issue of security for the entire country. “We said as governors, we agreed to forfeit $1bn out of our own share of excess crude which we are going to back up with state assembly resolution at a later time. “This is not the first time a decision like this is being taken. It happened during Jonathan’s era when they took $2bn .
We all agreed at that time collectively in the same chamber to withdraw $2bn to procure equipment for the military and also for logistics for the military because they were telling us whether it was true or false that our soldiers were being killed.
“Some came on the social media saying that they were being killed like rats because they didn’t have the training and the equipment. That was what generated discussions at the same Chamber and there was no controversy, there was no opposition to the decision at that time.”
The NGF chair also claimed that under late President Umaru Yar’Adua, over N5bn was similarly withdrawn to fund the Niger Delta Power Holding Company. The governor pointed out that, “at the governors’ forum, 12 members form a quorum. At the time we took this decision, we had 32 members in attendance and there was no single opposition to the decision. “If anybody has his own way that he wants things to go, we had the majority and there was no even minority opinion at that meeting.”
However, in a counter-position, Fayose denied being part of the decision, informing that he was already in court to challenge the approval. He said, “I’m not in support of $1bn and I will never be in support. In my state, we have agreed to go to court to contest this. It is our legitimate right, all accruals to the federation must be shared by the three tiers of government and for me to get justice, I have to go to court.”
Asked if his position was that of the PDP Governors Forum, he replied: “I am speaking for Ayo Fayose. With the PDP and the stakeholders, we have not met.”
Ekiti goes to court
Meanwhile, the 16 local government chairmen in Ekiti state, have dragged the Attorney General of the Federation and 36 state governors before a Federal High Court, Abuja, over the withdrawal from ECA.
Th e plaintiff s, through their counsel, Ola Olanipekun, SAN, in the suit marked FHC/ABJ/ CS/1264/17, asked the court to declare that the approval of the sum of $1billion by the 36 state governors to purportedly execute the constitutional duty of the Federal government, which has been suffi ciently funded from the Federation Account, without the their consent is ultra vires, unlawful, null and void.
…Governors approved withdrawal from ECA– OsinbajoVice President Yemi Osinbajo, yesterday clarified that state governors approved the deduction of $1 billion from the Excess Crude Account (ECA) to fight the Boko Haram insurgency
This, he said, followed was agreed upon after a national security summit organised by the National Economic Council which he chairs. Osinbajo made the disclosure at the opening of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation/ Secretaries to State Governments’ retreat at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.
He said: “It was after a national security summit of the National Economic Council that governors at their forum decided to approve some money for national security.” The development has drawn the ire of the opposition Peoples Democratic Party and other Nigerians , who faulted the decision on the basis that due process was not followed in arriving at the decision.
Specifically, the PDP, through its spokesman, Kola Ologbodiyan, described the move as alarming. Ologbodiyan challenged the federal government to explain the rationale behind such decision, especially when it claimed that the insurgents had been decimated by the military
