For the sixth time, the Presidency shifted yesterday the National Economic Council (NEC) meeting.
Governors, who were already in Abuja, were dissappointed.
Vice President Namadi Sambo is the chairman of NEC.
The meeting was fixed for today. A new date was not announced.
The postponement, it was gathered, followed plans by the governors to raise issues on the controversial $49.8b oil money in dispute between the Central Bank of Nigeria and the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC).
Although the “missing” money was reduced to $10.8billion after a reconciliation meeting, the governors are demanding a probe of the $49.8billion.
It was learnt that the postponement followed security reports that the governors had adopted six more posers, including some that had been raised earlier by Governor Rotimi Amaechi of Rivers State, for discussion at the meeting.
The posers are:
•How much oil does the country produce daily?
•Clarification that the benchmark price for oil in the 2013 budget was $79?
•Is it a fact that crude oil was sold at prices that hovered around $110 per day throughout the year?
•Where is the $30 differential between the benchmark price of $79 and the actual sale price which averaged $110 per barrel during the period?
•How much exactly has Nigeria earned from its oil sales in 2013 and what percentage of the budget is funded by these receipts?
•Why was NEC not consulted on 2014 Budget before presentation?
A governor, who spoke in confidence, said: “We have all arrived in Abuja for the meeting on the state of the economy, but it has been shifted. No date has been communicated to us.
“This is the sixth time they have postponed the NEC meeting, a constitutionally, recognised organ. Nigerians should ask: what are they hiding that they do not want NEC meeting to hold?
“Do you know that governors were not consulted on the 2014 Budget before it was presented to the National Assembly?
Another governor said: “They are afraid that most of us had prepared to take up issues with the Federal Government on the controversial $49.8billion which neither the NNPC nor the Minister of Finance has been able to clear.
“We cannot be suppressed in any manner; we will certainly address all these issues whenever they deem it fit to cause a NEC meeting.”
A third governor said: “It is sad that for many months, the NEC session has not been convened by the presidency. This is a violation of the 1999 Constitution.
“The Presidency has refused to invite us to either NEC or Council of State meeting because they are afraid that we will ask questions on the economy on behalf of Nigerians.
“We learnt that they are afraid that we might cause upset at the meeting. This is based on false reports that governors were already agitated.”
A fourth governor said: “My brother, it is painful that we have to take the risk of coming to Abuja only to be turned back. If you know the cost of logistics of a governor moving out of his state with security aides and officials, you will appreciate our anger.
“I think we can be tidier than we are now on NEC meeting.”
The Special Adviser to the Vice-President on Media and Publicity, Alhaji Umar Sani, said: “The postponement, I think, was due to an administrative problem. Those at the secretariat in the National Planning Commission have not been able to send invitation to everybody. It has nothing to do with the Vice President Namadi Sambo.
“We will hold the meeting, I think by next week. You cannot avoid something that you must do. It is the National Planning Commission that calls for the meeting. And so many meetings have been cancelled because of some circumstances.”
Asked if the NEC session was postponed because of the controversy over $49.8billio, Sani added: “Are we not the people who called for the meeting? Why would we be afraid of anything to be discussed?
“Is there any issue of $49.8billion when even the CBN Governor, Sanusi Lamido Sanusi, came back to say that the money in question was $10.8billion?
“Even if the governors raise the issue at NEC meeting, we will call on NNPC to give account.
Sections 18 and 19 of the Third Schedule, Part 1 to the 1999 Constitution say: “ The National Economic Council shall comprise the following members -
a. The Vice President who shall be the Chairman
b. The Governor of each state of the Federation; and
c. The Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria established under the Central Bank of Nigeria Decree 1991 or any enactment replacing that Decree.
“The National Economic Council shall have power to advise the President concerning the economic affairs of the Federation, and in particular on measures necessary for the co-ordination of the economic planning efforts or economic programmes of the various governments of the Federation.” Click to signup for FREE news updates, latest information and hottest gists everyday
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