Governor of Zamfara State and Chairman of the Nigeria Governors’
Forum, Abdul-Aziz Yari, has said the $1 billion approved to be taken out of the
Excess Crude Account (ECA), to support the war against insurgency, is not the
first in Nigerian history.
Yari said the NGF, during
the chairmanship of Godswill Akpabio, of Akwa Ibom State, approved $2 billion
for government, to procure equipment for the military and logistics,
“especially when soldiers took to the social media, to cry out that they were
being killed like rats.”
But, Ekiti State
Governor, Ayodele Fayose, insisted he does not support the resolution.
The two governors took
different positions when they addressed State House Correspondents at the end
of an emergency meeting between the NGF and Speakers of Houses of Assembly,
which held inside the old Banquet Hall of the Presidential Villa, Abuja.
Said Yari: “The Nigeria
Governors’ Forum discussed this issue at our November meeting and we agreed,
across party lines, that this thing was done in 2014, where $2 billion was
withdrawn, in agreement with the governors at that meeting. Governor Akpabio
was the one who 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 agree to
forfeit $1 billion out of our own share of excess crude proceeds, which we are
going to back up with Houses of Assembly resolutions, at a later time.
“This is not the first time
a decision like this is being taken. It happened during (former President
Goodluck) 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 told us, whether it was true or false, that our soldiers were being killed.
“Some came on the social
media and said they were being killed like rats because they didn’t have the
training and the equipment. That was what generated discussions in 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.”
He urged all stakeholders
to stop playing politics with national security.
“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 things to go, we had the majority and there
wasn’t any minority opinion at that meeting.
“We looked at the country
first; before any other issue. It is only when you have the country that you
can have politics,” the governor added.
He said those in charge
at that time failed to listen to the governors’ complaints and expressed
delight that the present government listens.
But, Fayose insisted he
was not in support of the decision to withdraw $1 billion from the ECA.
“I’m not in support of
$1 billion 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 Account must be shared by the three tiers of government and, for
me to get justice, I have to go to court.”
Fayose said although the issue was not
discussed at the Tuesday meeting, he had taken appropriate steps because the
money belongs to the people of his state.
Asked if he opposed the
decision on behalf of governors of the Peoples Democratic Party, he replied: “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. In Ekiti State, people are hungry, we are
having ‘hunger haram.’
“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 Ekiti money.
“I filed the case in
court as early as 12 noon today (yesterday). 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. If it was one of the issues discussed, I
would have said so. I am not a pretender, I won’t suffer in silence.”
Meanwhile, the NGF and
speakers of Houses of Assembly have agreed to hold public hearings on some
amendments of the 1999 Constitution, by the National Assembly.
A statement to that
effect was signed by Yari, on behalf of the NGF and Speaker of
Sokoto State House of Assembly and Chairman, Conference of Speakers,
Ismaila A. Kamba.
“We, all the governors of
the 36 states of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, under the platform of the
Nigeria Governors Forum and Speakers of the States Houses of Assembly, under
the auspices of the Conference of Speakers, at the end of a consultative
meeting regarding ongoing efforts to amend certain sections of the 1999
constitution resolved as follows: The meeting agreed to approach this amendment
with maturity and the future of our democracy at the back of our minds.
“The meeting agreed that
the Houses of Assembly should consult all stakeholders and hold public hearings
on all the items transmitted to them by the National Assembly; in a bid to
promote our democracy and strengthen its institutions.
“Finally, the meeting
agreed to constitute a committee, to look at all the issues pertaining to the
constitution amendment and revert to members within a reasonable time.”
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