Mohammed Aminu


The Chairman of the Nigeria Governors' Forum, who is also Governor of Rivers State, Mr. Rotimi Amaechi, has alleged that the sum of $5b was withdrawn from the Excess Crude Account without governors knowing what the money was used for.

Amaechi, who spoke at the NGF retreat yesterday in Sokoto, Sokoto State, said there was $9b in the account in January this year, but regretted that the amount had been depleted without the governors knowing why the money was withdrawn.

According to the governor: "The Excess Crude Account in January was N9billion. That account belongs to Federal, States and Local Governments. Today it is N4billion. We don't know who took the $5billion."

Money accruing from the Federation Account and the sharing of the money by the Federal Account Allocation Committee was one of the topics discussed at the retreat.

Amaechi also alleged that the Federal Government had been using anti-corruption agencies to harass governors who hold different opinions from that of President Goodluck Jonathan.

He wondered why these anti-corruption agencies had refused to visit other government establishments like the Federal Ministries of work, finance, Niger Delta and even the NNPC.
Instead of this, he said the EFCC was always going to such states like Kano and Jigawa, where governors of the affected states hold different political views from that of President Jonathan.

He said, "Today, the EFCC is either in Jigawa or in Kano States because they (the governors) disagree with the President. What about NNPC? What about Ministry of Niger Delta and the Ministry of Works?

"The whole governors put together receive 26 per cent from the revenue of the Federation. The Federal Government gets 52 per cent. And with that 52 per cent, nobody goes after the Federal Government to say how did you spent it. And then you go after those who get 26 per cent”

In a communique said, which emerged at the end of the retreat, the governors, however, said it would be in the interest of the country If Nigerians could eschew docility and participate more actively in politics and demand better accountability and responsibility from their leaders.
The forum also asked the Nigeria National Petroleum Corporation to be transparent in its activities.

The meeting by the pro-Amaechi NGF governors was by only eight of the 19 governors in the camp.
Apart from the host governor, Aliyu Wammako, others governors in attendance were those of Ekiti, Osun, Adamawa, Nasarawa, Rivers, Lagos and Niger attended.

Governors of Kano, Niger, Jigawa, Kwara and Oyo states, however sent their deputies.
House of Representatives Speaker Aminu Waziri Tambuwal, former EFCC chairman, Nuhu Ribadu, Prof. Wole Soyinka and Bishop Mathew Hassan Kukah among others also attended the retreat.

According to the communique: " In view of the opaque nature of NNPC operations," they (the governors) would continue to insist on transparency in all facets of the petroleum value chain".
The governors also promised to pursue the diversification of the Nigerian economy in order to reduce dependency on oil and reinforce efforts at enhancing internally generated revenue to lessen the dependency of states on the centre as a way to strengthen Nigeria's federalism.

They also insisted on the creation of state police, which they said remain one of the requirements of a federal system of government and a multi-level policing to improve on the security of citizens.

Sultan of Sokoto, Alhaji Muhammad Sa'ad Abubakar 111, also called on governors in the country to make use of their forum as an instrument of unity rather than the current division among them.

The monarch made the plea yesterday, when members of the NGF led by Amaechi, paid him a visit in his palace in Sokoto.
He maintained that it was only when the governors were united that they could be able to deliver the goods and meet the yearnings of the electorate.

Maybe the money go holiday ..as e don too long e dy live for the account ..e go soon pack come back

I reserved my comment till i see d evidence, though oga jona need ol d needful for 2015 election which he surely knw dt he cn't win on his own. Beside, ol of u're corrupt nd jona is jst d oga @ d top. let him exchausted ol their oil money with their future.