Following the announcement made by the Minister of Defence, Mansur Ali, that President Muhammadu Buhari has released $1 billion to the Defence authorities for the fight against insurgency and boosting security in the Country, the Presidency has said that approval is not final as it marks only a stage in the process of acquiring the fund.
Ali had made the revelation to journalists in Abuja after a security meeting with the President.
“Of recent, our leader, President Muhammadu Buhari gave approval for the purchase of more equipment for the military, worth $1 billion.”
Opposition query
The announcement had garner criticisms from some section of the public, with opposition party, Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), alleging that the fund would be used to support President Buhari re-election bid, even when he had not declare his intention to run.
According to the Party’s National Publicity Secretary, Kola Ologbodiyan, the money is a renewed attempt by the Presidency to loot $1billion.
The Party stated that its investigations revealed the Presidency ”willfully sidestepped the National Assembly so as to avoid legislative scrutiny and accountability to pave way for the diverting of the fund for selfish partisan purposes.”
“It is a notorious fact that the Presidency and the APC have been plotting to loot this $1 billion from our heavily depleted Excess Crude Account (ECA) since last year, using the guise of fight against insurgency.
“Democracy thrives on constitutional processes of separation of powers, due diligence and transparency and not on totalitarian tendencies. PDP believes the President, as a leader, reasonably ought to have known that he is in no way above the law.”
It further urged the National Assembly to pronounce a legislative sanction on the President for unilaterally approving the funds without the intervention of the lawmakers.
Presidency’s Defence
The President’s Senior Special Assistant on Media and Publicity, Shehu Garba, said the his Boss’ approval is not final, as process for the final release of the fund is on-going and that everyone will be involved in the process.
“The process has begun, it’s not concluded, therefore, everyone will be involved. Mr President will not breach the constitution of this Country. Approval at that level is granted, there is nothing controversial.
“The Attorney-General will bring a draft bill to FEC, the President will approve and then say take it to the National Assembly. The draft budget before it got to the National Assembly, the FEC signed and approved it.”
Shehu iterated that the fund will be used to re-equip security operatives in the Country, as attention will be paid to areas affected by criminality, insurgency and terrorism.
Following the comments and criticisms generated by PDP after the approval of the $1 billion by President Buhari, Personal Assistant to the President on Social Media, Lauretta Onochie, said Nigerians should stop playing politics with security issues.
According to her, the National Executive Council (NEC), which is made up of State Governments have already approved the fund.
“The State Houses of Assembly approved same. There is no illegality in the release of the funds to the military.”
In February, the House of Representatives was in disagreement over the $1billion fund approved for the fighting of insurgency with some section urging the Federal Government to deduct 13% derivation and pay to Oil-Producing States.
According to a motion raised by Ken Chikere (Rivers-PDP), during a plenary, the deduction, if not made would amount to double contribution of the Oil-Producing States, which would be a breach of the Constitution.
“The provision to Section 162 of 1999 Constitution states that 13 per cent of proceeds of oil-producing states as derivation funds payable to benefiting states of Akwa-Ibom, Rivers, Delta, Bayelsa, Cross River, Edo, Abia, Imo, Ondo, Anambra and Lagos.
“That 13 per cent derivation fund payable to oil-producing states had not been deducted and paid to them from the one billion dollars before or after the approval of the said sum to fight Boko Haram insurgency.
“It will also be a breach of Section 16 (2) of the 1999 Constitution and Section 1 of the Allocation of Revenue (Federation Account, etc) Act, Cap.A15, Laws of the Federation of Nigeria, 2014.”
A lawmaker had then asked if the money had been approved by the National Assembly, as no money is supposed to be withdrawn from the Consolidated Revenue Funds.
Reacting, Deputy Speaker, Yussuf Lasun, reminded the lawmakers that there is a difference between the Federation and Consolidated Accounts.
The Speaker, Yakubu Dogara, also added his contribution by stating that the money is coming from the Excess Crude Account (ECA), which had already been approved by the State Houses of Assembly, thereby giving its Governors the right to approval of the request.
ETN24 had also reported that the fund does not need the approval of the National Assembly as the owners of the money are the States.
It reported the statement of Majority Leader of the House of Representatives, Femi Gbajabiamila, who said “the ECA does not belong to the Federal Government but to the three tiers of Government.”
