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$1bn ECA Controversy: FG begins damage control

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9 years ago

December 19, 2017

Vice President Yemi Osinbajo has said the controversial $1bn that to be withdrawn from the Excess Crude Account is for counter insurgency and other security challenges across the nation.

Osinbajo clarified this at the opening of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation/Secretaries to State Governments’ retreat at the Presidential Villa, Abuja on Tuesday.

The intervention fund has stirred a lot of debates, and the Nigeria Governors Forum that approved the withdrawal has been divided.

Ekiti Gov. Ayo Fayose said he was no part of the decision, and has been campaigning against the withdrawal which he claimed is for President Muhammadu Buhari’s re-election campaign for 2019.

Chairman of the Nigerian Governors Forum Abdulaziz Yari said last Wednesday at the meeting of the National Economic Council that the governors had asked the Federal Government to withdraw the money.

And the purpose of the withdrawal, according to him, was to boost the counter-insurgency efforts going on in the northeast.

According to Osinbajo, the decision was made two months ago after a national security summit organised by the National Executive Council about two months ago.

Among security challenges considered include kidnapping, small arms trafficking, terrorist activities of Boko Haram in the northeast, clashes between herdsmen and farmers, as well as cattle rustling.

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“It was on account of the security summit that the governors at the Governors’ Forum subsequently decided that they would vote a certain sum of money, which has become somewhat controversial, the $1bn, to assist the security architecture of the country,’ he said.

“It was to assist all of the issues in the states, including policing in the states, community policing, all of the different security challenges that we have.

“It was after the security summit that the Governors’ Forum met across party lines. Again I must add — in order to approve and to accept that this is what needed to be done to shore up our security architecture.”

Among the questions raised when the NGF first announced the proposal is: Why spend that much on Boko Haran Buhari claimed was already defeated?

An APC Honorable and Majority Leader Femi Gbajabiamila even supported Fayose who kicked against the withdrawal. He said the governor has the right because the decision rests with the state assembly.