The verbal clash between the immediate past Minister of Finance, Ngozi Okonjo–Iweala, and the Edo State Governor, Adams Oshiomhole, over the management of Nigeria’s finances, may not end any time soon, as the exchanges between the duo continued Wednesday.

On Monday, after the National Economic Council (NEC) meeting in Abuja, Mr. Oshiomhole and his Kaduna State counterpart, Nasir El Rufai, had said that about $2.1 bn had been withdrawn from the $4.1 bn left in the Excess Crude Account (ECA) last November “without authorization.”

In a quick reaction Tuesday, Mrs. Okonjo-Iweala hit back at the governors, through her spokesperson, Paul Nwabuikwu, who described the allegations as “false, malicious and totally without foundation.”

“It is clear that this is the latest chapter of a political witch-hunt by elements who are attempting to use the respected National Economic Council for ignoble purposes having failed abysmally in their previous attempts to tar the Okonjo-Iweala name,” Mr. Nwabuikwu said in a statement.

But, Mr. Oshiomhole, who was guest on Channels TV programme on Wednesday, accused the former Minister of not only toying with figures about the country’s finances, but also being economical with the truth on the state of the economy bequeathed to President Muhammadu Buhari.

Mr. Oshiomhole accused Mrs. Okonjo-Iweala of mismanaging the economy, particularly the controversial waivers granted various organizations that cost the economy several billions of naira, adding that the Federal Government would have been in a worse financial position than the states if it had not resorted to borrowing to pay wages.

“With all due respect to the former Minister Okonjo-Iweala, she knows how to play around with statistics,” Mr. Oshiomhole said. “I have made the point before that she keeps opening part of the pages and not the entire book.
“The logic of transparency is that every minister must publish in full what is accruing to the Federation Account month to month and what is distributed to them.

“What she has been publishing has been what went to the federal, state and local governments. She never published simultaneously what accrued during the period, out of which these were distributed, so that we can know what was collected; what was distributed, and what was left in the excess crude account.”

As a member of NEC, Mr. Oshiomhole said he had confronted the former Minister on several occasions to demand that reports on matters of Federation Account should not be presented to members verbally, but in written form, for reasons of accountability.

On the controversial unauthorised spending, Mr. Oshiomhole said the power to take money from the ECA was vested in the NEC, an institution created by the constitution, and not State Finance Commissioners, who were members of the Federation Accounts Allocation Committee (FAAC).

On claims by Mrs. Okonjo-Iweala that Nigerians knew what the three tiers of government usually collect through the State Commissioners who attend the monthly FAAC meetings, Mr. Oshiomhole dismissed it as her administrative arrangement not known to the constitution.

On the controversial $2 bn, the governor said Mrs. Okonjo-Iweala had stated in her last report that $4.1 billion was the balance in the ECA.

“She said so orally, but was captured in the minutes, only for her to come around again at the last minute to say “X” figure is left. We (governors) asked her, what did you pay for?

“The situation was always compounded by the fact that the Ministry of Finance and the Ministry of Petroleum Resources always worked together to refuse to transfer to the Federation Account huge sums of money that ought to have accrued to the government,” Mr. Oshiomhole said.

He cited the example of payments from the Nigeria LNG, which were not accounted for, and challenged Mrs. Okonjo-Iweala to produce records of huge payments of between $1.5bn to $2 bn every year over the past 4 to 5 years, which ought to have gone to the federation account.

“These monies were never transferred to the Federation Account. They were unilaterally expended by the Federal Government.

“We were not even informed of the fact that these monies were paid. Each time we asked the then Minister what was happening with the proceeds from the NLNG, no explanation was ever offered, whether in black and white, or orally.
“There are several other federal agencies that made huge sums of money, which were illegally and unilaterally spent by the Federal Government, without being allowed to flow into the Federation Account,” Mr. Oshiomhole stated.
Source: www.premiumtimesng.com/news/top-news/185943-again-oshiomhole-tackles-okonjo-iweala-says-ex-minister-mismanaged-economy.html

I wud say dat oshiomole and co are supposed to go ahead with their investigations and at the end show to the public a comprehensive report of all d under hand dealings if any and not to resort to wild allegations on a daily basis as dis always leaves evry1 in a state of "yipi yapo"

Okk

See how these guys dey book space ..Smh

Mr. Oshiomhole accused Mrs. Okonjo-Iweala of mismanaging the economy, particularly the
controversial waivers granted various organizations that cost the economy several billions
of naira, adding that the Federal Government would have been in a worse financial position
than the states if it had not resorted to borrowing to pay wages.


A country blessed so much resulted to borrowing to pay wages, yet that puff puff face woman told us our country is not broke.

Chai Ngozi fear God!!!!

This man is in love with NOI. Chasing and looking for her attention when he has a pretty new bride at home.

I honestly do not understand guys!

Oshiomole should chill abeg ....
He and his team which comprise of Elrufai should carry out the National Executive Council assignment first before concluding what Okonjo has done right and what she has done wrong .. also OshioBaba need to make thorough investigation before thrashing it out on media .... anybody found wanting must be called to account !

I am tired of Oshiomole seeking NOI attention oooo .. abi he wan make her second wife ni

Lovesdaisied:
This man is in love with NOI. Chasing and looking for her attention when he has a pretty new bride at home.

I honestly do not understand guys!

Clown

Chronicles of the Tackler, his tackles and the Tackled


Make dem face front and work biko

Meanwhile, read part three of the Diary of the village boy, Evening of SHOCKS, get your Shock-resistant-Vest on before reading, lol

https://samueliyanu./2015/07/02/diary-of-a-regular-village-boy-3-the-evening-of-shocks/

e be like say they have tried and tried to harm this woman, God no gree for them, hence they are resorting to all kinds of stratagems which will not work. . . . . . . .

Osho baba if ur mind strong and you are sure of what you are saying, challenge mama for a debate on this. Note if you lost , u lost everything o even lola join.

NOI is a smooth criminal. Covering up her tracks with half truths and incomplete data. This is not the 70s madam. You can fool your tribal clans from the S/East but not the wider Nigerians. Eli gbe OLE!!

ibedun:
NOI is a smooth criminal. Covering up her tracks with half truths and incomplete data. This is not the 70s madam. You can fool your tribal clans from the S/East but not the wider Nigerians. Eli gbe OLE!!

She is a perfect criminal.... Dusting her past errors cleanly.

Am not in support of NOI buh I tink dose investigating d records shd do dat first before accusing d past govt. Don't just bandy figures here nd dere show us facts nd let d law take its full course. We all know dat even d Oshiomole who is acting like a saint is anything but a saint.

Lovesdaisied:
This man is in love with NOI. Chasing and looking for her attention when he has a pretty new bride at home.

I honestly do not understand guys!

Fictitious statement.

Lovesdaisied:
This man is in love with NOI. Chasing and looking for her attention when he has a pretty new bride at home.

I honestly do not understand guys!

Lolz

everybody associated with dullard will surely be dullard. osho is not exceptional.