by Chi Ibe
Yesterday, Governor Rotimi Amaechi was on fire at the Governor’s Forum Retreat in Sokoto. With all guns blazing, he also hit the President’s right hand woman, coordinating minister of the economy, Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala.
As reported by the Nation
The River State governor said the Excess Crude Account stood at $9billion last January only to shrink to only $4billion today.
“That account belongs to Federal, States and Local Governments. Today it is $4billion. We don’t know who took $5billion,” he said.
President Goodluck Jonathan, who was billed to deliver the key note address at the retreat, was absent.
He did not send any representative.
Also absent were members of the Jang -led faction of the forum, which enjoys the backing of the Presidency.
Amaechi said it was convenient for the anti-graft agencies to look the other way now on the matter because of the apparent involvement of the Federal Government whereas the same agencies, according to him, would have waded in if any of the state or local governments were involved in a similar financial irregularity.
He said the agencies are being used for political vendetta against opponents of the federal authorities.
His words: “Today the EFCC is either in Jigawa or in Kano because they disagree with the President. What about NNPC? What about the Ministry of Niger Delta and the Ministry of Works?
“The whole governors put together we receive 26 per cent from the revenue of the Federation. The Federal Government gets 52 per cent. And with that 52 per cent, nobody goes after the Federal Government to say ‘how did you spend it’?
“And then you go after those who got 26 per cent. Even if you recover all the 26 per cent, what have you benefitted from it as against those who have stolen 52 per cent?”
This evening, on Twitter, ‘Seun Onigbine the founder of BudgIT, a transparency-in-government initiative committed to using technology to drive accountability, tweets at the minister through her handle @NOIweala and asked:
@NOIweala can you please explain to us in detail how ECA was drawn in 2013 and if $5bn allegation is true?
— Oluseun Onigbinde (@seunonigbinde) November 17, 2013
Her response was given within an hour and was straight to the point:
@seunonigbinde the allegation is completely false
— Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala (@NOIweala) November 17, 2013
Back to you, Mr. Governor.
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