Missing $49.8b: Amaechi’s NGF accuses Jonathan of cover up. The Nigerian Governors’ Forum (NGF) has rejected explanations offered by the Nigeria National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) over the alleged missing $49.8 billion, as alleged in the letter by Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) Governor, Sanusi Lamido Sanusi. The leakage of the letter has however created a gulf between President Goodluck Jonathan and Sanusi with the President asking Sanusi to resign, a request Sanusi turned down. The NNPC has, however, gone ahead to explain how the controversial amount was expended. Not satisfied with explanations offered by the Federal Government agency, the NGF at its Wednesday night meeting, said the explanation is puerile. The Federal Government was accused of diverting the huge sum, as it was said that there was no record that the money was ever paid into the Federation Account according to the law. The NGF, in a communique issued at the end of its meeting on Wednesday night held at the Rivers State Governor’s Lodge, said the best option to get to the root of the matter is for the National Assembly to institute an investigation into the missing fund. According to the group, it is unheard of that such a huge amount, which the group said, translates to two years national budget, could get missing and puerile explanations will be offered just to cover it up. The forum also condemned the president for refusing to call the meeting of National Economic Council (NEC) for over four months, leaving a vacuum in some important area of governance. The communique reads in part: On the issue of the missing $49.8 billion (N8.5 trillion) or equivalent of two years of the National Budget, there is no evidence that this amount was paid into the Federation Account or duly appropriated. We accordingly call on the National Assembly to institute a comprehensive independent forensic audit by an international reputable firm. We fear that the recent decline of state revenues is not unconnected with the financial diversion. In clear breach of the provision of Section 11, Part II of the Fiscal Responsibility Act, 2007, which requires the Federal Government to hold consultations with states before the Medium-Term Expenditure Framework (MTEF) is laid before the National Assembly; consultation with states on the MTEF and Fiscal Strategy Paper (2014-2016) did not hold. The National Economic Council (NEC) meeting where issues of this nature would have been discussed last held four months ago. We note with total dismay the recent violent attacks and killings that have taken place in Borno State, as well as the attack on the father of the Kano State governor. We also condemn the flagrant violation of the rights of citizens to freely assemble in Rivers State by the Nigerian Police; the excessive use of force against unarmed citizens in the exercise of their fundamental rights and the shooting of Senator Magnus Abe. The financial irregularities relating to public accounting, the lack of compliance with the Fiscal Responsibility Act, 2007, and the recent security breaches are not unconnected with the refusal of the Federal Government to convene meetings of statutory institutions created in the Constitution, such as the National Economic Council (NEC), the Council of State, the Nigeria Police Council and meetings of the Federation Account Allocation Committee (FAAC). We urge a return to the path of constitutionali sm. The meeting was chaired by Amaechi and had in attendance Governors Murtala Nyako of Adamawa, Adams Oshiomhole of Edo, Kayode Fayemi of Ekiti, Babatunde Fashola of Lagos, Abdulfatah Ahmed of Kwara, and Rochas Okorocha of Imo. Governors Kwankwaso, Abdulaziz Yari of Zamfara, and Sule Lamido of Jigawa, as well as Tanko Almakura of Nasarawa states were represented by their deputies.
Posted on: Fri, 17 Jan 2014 06:39:37 +0000
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