The Minister of Finance, Dr Ngozi okonjo-Iweala, has said that
it was strange for the Governors Forum to allege that $20 billion were missing
from the Excess Crude Account (ECA).
This is contained in a statement issued by Mr Paul
Nwabuikwu, spokesman for the Minister, in Abuja on Tuesday. Read more after cut..
The statement said there was no basis for the forum to
demand that the minister should account for such money from June 2013 to April
2015.
“The statement by the governors is totally strange because
Federal Accounts Allocation Committee (FAAC), meets every month and the ECA is
discussed at every session with all the state commissioners of finance present.
“Nothing is hidden. At these meetings, the Minister of State
who is the Chairman of FAAC, announces the balance in the ECA which is then
discussed.
“So, governors who want any information about the ECA should
ask for details from their commissioners who should have the records of what
was discussed and agreed upon”, it said.
According to the statement, details of the ECA are also
published every month along with the allocations to the three tiers of
government.
It added that the reference to June 2013 was immaterial as
FAAC meetings during which the ECA and similar issues were discussed held every
month.
The statement said Gov. Rotimi Amaechi of Rivers, who was
reported to have read the communique on behalf of the governors, made a similar
unsubstantiated allegation in Nov. 2013.
According to the statement, he alleged in Nov. 2013 that 5
billion dollars were missing from the ECA.
“We subsequently showed with facts that not only was the
amount not missing, Rivers received N257.6 billion from the Federation Account
between January and October 2013.
It assured that ministry of finance in the interest of
transparency and accountability would publish the details of the ECA for the
last four years in a couple of days.
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