Edo state governor, Comrade Adams Oshiomhole, made the accusation in Benin on Monday at a seminar themed “Enhancing IGR in Edo, issues, prospects and challenges,” organized by the state government for Permanent Secretaries, Directors and Deputy Directors.
The governor said the former Minister also needs to tells Nigerians how the Excess Crude Account was drawn down to $4.1 billion from the peak of $10 billion when no approval was given by the National Economic Council for any withdrawals, adding that, Okonjo-Iweala would have been declared a pathological liar if she were a witness in court due to the inconsistencies in her statements said a forensic audit would truly determine how much was illegally spent from the federation account under her watch as Minister.
Addressing the seminar participants, Oshiomhole said the state government would now hold Permanent Secretaries, Directors and Deputy Directors responsible for any fraud detected in their departments, stating that, the government has trimmed down the cost of running government.
“The truth is, many things went wrong even at the federal level. As you might have read in the papers, while the federal government, under Goodluck Jonathan, with the then Coordinating Minister of the Economy liked to blame “Governors” for wasteful spending, for not saving for the rainy day, for not investing properly, the truth is the real weakness in the Nigerian federal chain has been the Federal Government. Our hope is that with the new President, given his pedigree we will break from the past.
“You will soon begin to hear when all the numbers are published, last week, I complained aloud that Edo State lost about N10 billion over a four year period from only one source, the NLNG remittance to the federation account.
“How did I arrive at the figure? I used my 4-Figure Table and I asked myself at $2.1 billion remitted by NLNG as taxes and Shell, and by the way, Shell is not the only oil operative, we have Chevron and several others. They shared the $2.1 billion based on the revenue allocation formula, Edo State got about N2.27 billion. So I said, thank God this money came after the departure of Okonjo-Iweala and President Jonathan. If the PDP were still in charge at Abuja, this money would have been taken.
“That is not the only money Edo State Government has lost. You have heard of the last installment of $4.1 billion that was in the Excess Crude Account as of November, 2014, and from that time till today, we have not; when I say we, federal, states and local governments have not touched that money. We have not agreed to take anything out of it, and yet it has been drawn down to about $2 billion. Which means $2.1 billion disappeared. If you listened and followed the conversation, when I made this allegation after the National Economic Council meeting that the former Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister, Dr Okonjo-Iweala took $2.1 billion without approval and spent it in a manner that was never accounted for, she replied that I lied and said that it was the Commissioners and herself who agreed to distribute that money to the three tiers of government and that FAAC is the most visible expression of our true federalism. And that we shouldn’t claim that FAAC is unknown to us. That FAAC is a creation of law and so on and so forth.
“I’m going into this, because, as public servants, you need to understand not just the finances of Edo State but also the finances of Nigeria, particularly as they affect our state.
“Now the Commissioners of Finance met and they looked at themselves and they looked at Okonjo-Iweala and they submitted to Okonjo-Iweala that ‘madam, you lied, not Oshiomhole because in truth, we have no powers to decide withdrawals from the Excess Crude Account and that the power is vested in the State Governors at the level of the National Economic Council.’ But whether vested or not, we never, ever resolved to share money from that account.
“Now the former Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy, Dr Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, confronted with these hard facts now shifted the argument that ‘oh no it is not FAAC that approved it, it was the former President Goodluck Jonathan that approved it.
“President Jonathan as far as the law of Nigeria is concerned, or any President, his approval is limited to funds of the federal government, not funds of the federation. Funds of the federation can only be approved by governors and representative of the President as reflected in the composition of the National Economic Council, which is made is made up by governors and chaired by the Vice President, with the CBN Governor and Minister of Finance and others as members. But there’s so much confusion now that Okonjo-Iweala can say one thing in the morning and tomorrow she will say I never said so. If she were a witness in a court of law, she would be declared a pathological liar whose evidence is of no value.
“So governments have lost a lot of money and the $2.1 billion, Edo State’s share of that, because that would have included derivation we would have made about N2.6 billion. That, we have lost now to Okonjo-Iweala.
“Now that she claimed she used it, between herself and the last President, they agreed to take the money to pay oil marketers. But if you talk to those oil marketers, they will tell you that within that period, they were paid $1 billion not $2.1 billion. So in truth, about $1 billion was taken for election purposes and Edo State’s share of that should have been about N4.6 billion from that $2.1 billion that Dr Ngozi-Okonjo Iweala, the former Minister of Finance illegally took from Excess Crude account.
“For clarity, that is not the only money they have so illegally taken. If you look at the total number at a point, the excess crude account peaked at $10 billion and we now heard it dropped to $4.1 billion. This means at some point, another $6 billion was taken. So we are hopeful that by the time we carry out some forensic analysis, we will be able to show clearly how much of the funds accruing to the three tiers of government were unilaterally and illegally spent by the Federal Government under the former Minister of Finance,” the governor said. Click to signup for FREE news updates, latest information and hottest gists everyday
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Oshiomole has lost his bearing... ogogoro dey torment you now..just making frivolous statements here and there. contradicting yourself most of the time. Guy focus on reducing poverty amongst the lower class in your state before you quit governance.
ReplyDeleteShut up!!! The woman messed up the wealth of a nation and someone is speaking up but instead you said ogogoro is disturbing him. I think it is you ogogoro is disturbing. Nigerians must learn to stand up against corrupt officials.
DeleteShut up Anonymous 6.41pm! You are being insipidly sentimental and frugal with the truth. Stop this type of comment that makes no sense and allow Nigerians to know the hard facts of how Okonjo-Iweala squandered our collective wealth ............. the doors of the prison beckons!
DeleteNo don't mind him,its the ethiopian new wife that has intoxicated him.he has lost his bearing really, nonsense
DeleteWhy would all of you be castigating Oshiomhole? He has levelled another allegation against Ngozi Okijo Iweala. Leave her to defend and answer for herself, or are you all now Okonjo Iweala? I tire for all of you.
DeleteLet's us victims not abuse each other over people who have enriched themselves with our money. let's see the evidence.
ReplyDeleteOur problem is that we always jump the gun many a times. This man is given the job to investigate what happened to excess crude oil account and report back to the government and Nigerians. Instead of working as a professional. Here he is doing maths that my 3 years old can do better. Check this out my people “How did I arrive at the figure? I used my 4-Figure Table and I asked myself at $2.1 billion remitted by NLNG as taxes and Shell, and by the way, Shell is not the only oil operative, we have Chevron and several others. They shared the $2.1 billion based on the revenue allocation formula, Edo State got about N2.27 billion. So I said, thank God this money came after the departure of Okonjo-Iweala and President Jonathan. If the PDP were still in charge at Abuja, this money would have been taken"
ReplyDeleteThis shows me that he has no real facts to be commenting until he finishes his forensic audit.
My people if we have an open mind instead politicizing every issue along tribal line.
Cheers
Guy I think you have problem with understanding, reading or writing. I am sorry for your 3 years old if the child takes after you, the child may need special education just like it obvious you are a candidate for that. You wanted to criticize Oshiomole but you ended up saying nothing. is it not better you keep quiet if you don't have anything to say. The man made a clear point on how much was given to its state after the money was converted into naira. I don't know which is your problem? Is it understanding, reading or writing. My friend Oshiomole is very correct with his Maths.
DeleteHe should come up with enough evidence and he should stop procrastinating. Or his he telling Edo State 4 billion is the reason he could not improve the standard living of his subjects??? As far as Nigeria is concern every political office holder is a criminal. Until they are caught and found guilty........If not they remain innocent. So he should leave those stories for the gods and do well and put smiles on the faces of Edo Civil servant and youths .
ReplyDelete