The depletion of the Excess Crude Account did not commence with the recent approval by the National Economic Council ( NEC) which approved 1$b USD for the Federal government to fund war against insurgency in the North East.
Chairman of Nigerian Governors Forum and Zamfara State Governor, Abdulaziz Yari explained this to State House Journalists on Tuesday, after an emergency meeting at the Presidential Villa, even as Ekiti State Governor, Ayodele Fayose, said he is not going back on his decision to go court to challenge the decision.
Yari who disclosed however that the issue was not discussed at the meeting, said the emergency which also had Speakers of the 36 State Houses of Assemblies at the meeting, was summoned to discussed the recent Constitution amendment by the National Assembly to take a common stand on the amendments.
Yari explaining the antecedent, said $2b was approved without opposition in 2014 when the former President Gooodluck Jonathan was pressed for funds to tackle insurgency in the North East.
Yari who was responding to questions on the issue, said the National Economic Council NEC had approved similar withdrawal from the fund under late President Umaru Musa Yar’Adua to prosecute the power investment for the Niger Delta Power Holding (NDPH)
He also debunked claims of opposition by NEC members during the last meeting saying that the NEC formed quorum at its 82nd, which was the last meeting for the year, 2017, where the decision was taken even as he insisted that while it required only 12 members to form such quorum, the meeting was attended by 32 out of 36 members.
He disclosed that while the approval given by the NEC was backed by a resolution of the 36 States House of Assemblies, the approval given under former President Jonathan in 2014 could not even get such resolution because of the exigencies of that time.
” Gentlemen, this is democracy and every person has his own way of looking at things and you cannot stop him from agitating”
” The Nigeria Governors Forum discussed this issue at our November meeting and we all agreed across party lines that this thing has been done in 2014 where $2 billion was taken in agreement with the governors at that meeting. And governor Akpabio was the one that moved the motion. This time we realize that there was 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 $1 billion our of own share of excess curse 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 $2 billion”
“We all agreed at that time collectively in the same chamber to withdraw $2 billion 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”
“Secondly, there was this decision also under Yar’Adua’s time when they were sourcing funds for Niger Delta Power Holdings, they also took over N5 billion for power generation, we followed the same process to withdraw the money from the same account and our respective houses of assembly confirmed the resolution”
“The $2 billion taken under Jonathan’s time did was not backed up by any resolution from the state assemblies” adding that ” people shouldn’t play politics with the issue of national security.
“By the way, we at the governors forum 12 members form 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 to follow to do things, he should be allowed. As for me, l know we had the majority and there was no even minority opinion at that meeting. We looked at the country Nigeria first before any other issue, it is only when you have the country that you can have the politics.”
Speaking also on not taking money from the Excess Crude to lay workers salaries,
He noted that the Paris Club refund is their legitimate source, adding that the Governors are right to demand refund from the money.
“Federal governments as deducting the money illegally in those days, we were asking federal government to give us what is our own. Then we were appealing they were not listening, thank God today we have a listening government who make attempt to pay 50 per cent and now we are looking forward to the last balance of 50 per cent. And graciously understanding the economies of the states, federal government has agreed to pay so that the state government can pay salaries and meet their obligations to their citizens”
Governor Fayose who also spoke on the issue after the emergency meeting, said he went to Court to file his case against the approval at about 12 noon before coming for the emergency meeting
“I’m not in support of $1 billion and 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”
He stated the issue was not discussed at the meeting, adding that ” for me I have take appropriate steps because the money belongs to Ekiti people not to any other use”
” I am speaking for Ayo Fayose. With the PDP and the stakeholders we have not met. I did not attend the meeting, even if I was part of the meeting I would have made it expressly clear but I will not support it. Every state has its own peculiarities in terms of security, Ekiti state has Hunger Ram where hunger is catching people everywhere. A lot of people are being kidnapped daily, whatever is in that money for me we should share it, let everybody go and solve his own problem. I have challenges and they should give me my money. It is a Ekiti money”
On whether this would have been a good platform to raise the issue, he replied, “May I say this to you, I filed the case in court as early as 12 noon today, if it was not listed as part of the meeting, how am I going to raise the issue. I have options and I have said it expressly, I have gone to court.”
On rumours that there was disagreement over the issue at this meeting he said, “no no no. If it was one of the issues discussed I would have said so. I am not a pretender I won’t suffer in silence.”
Tony Ailemen, Abuja
