- EFCC: Investigations On-going •Govs: Prove Your Allegations •Inside Details Of How Money Was Shared •State By State Breakdown of Figures…
Barring any last minute intervention in the face off between the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC and the Governors’ Forum, a major row is likely to break into the open over the anti-graft body’s decision to probe how the $4billion Paris Club debt refund has been spent by the governors of the federation.
This row may further boost the ranks of enemies of the commission’s acting chairman, Ibrahim Magu who are hell-bent on stopping him from becoming the substantive Chairman of EFCC
The EFCC is investigating the disbursement and management of N388.304billion of the N522.74 billion released to 35 states as refunds of deductions on the London-Paris Club loans. The stage for the ruckus was set when Dino Melaye, the Senator representing Kogi West Senatorial District on Monday, November 28, 2016 notified Nigerians that the 36 states of the federation had secretly shared $4 billion which is the refund of over-deductions on Paris and London Club debt repayment.
According to Melaye, the EFCC, needs to step in and ensure that the funds paid to the state governments are not looted.
Details available to The New Diplomat reveal that seven states got over N14billion each. They are Akwa, Ibom N14.5bn; Bayelsa, N14.5bn; Delta, N14.5bn; Kaduna, N14.3bn; Katsina, N14,5bn; Lagos, N14.5bn and Rivers, N14.5bn.
Also four states received above N13bn. They are Borno, N13. 7billion; Imo, 13billion; Jigawa, 13.2billion and Niger, N13.4bn.
The duo of Bauchi and Benue states got above N12billionn with Bauchi getting N12.7billion and Benue receiving N12.7billion.
Seven other states that got over N11billion are Anambra, N11.3bn; Cross River, N11.3bn; Edo, N11.3billion; Kebbi, N11billion; Kogi, N11.2billion; Osun, N11.7billion and Sokoto, N11.9billion.
Five states that got above N10billion are Abia, N10.6billion; Ogun, N10.6billion; Plateau, N10.4billion; Yobe, N10billion and Zamfara, N10billion.
The remaining 11 states that received below N10billion are Adamawa, N4.8billion; Ebonyi, N3.3billion; Ekiti, N8.8billion; Enugu, N9.9billion; Gombe, N8.3billion; Kwara, N5.4billion; Nasarawa N8.4billion; Ondo, N6.5billion; Oyo N7.2billion and Taraba, N4.2billion.
However, allegations of diversion has trailed the approval of President Muhammadu Buhari that the fund be distributed to the governors on December 22, 2016.
There are allegations that the governors diverted the funds instead of paying salaries and boosting infrastructure development as agreed with the federal government.
However, the governors, who met in Abuja recently, have dared the anti-graft agency to produce the report of its investigation. The governors threw the challenge on Thursday, February 16, after a closed-door meeting at the Old Banquet Hall of the Aso Rock Presidential Villa in Abuja.
The chairman of the NGF and Governor of Zamfara, Abdulaziz Yari, said the governors discussed the issue in detail and said they were ready and waiting for the probe.
“We discussed the issue of Paris Club and London Club. We observed that the EFCC said it is doing investigations. Yes, we support the federal government for fighting corruption.
“We are waiting for the EFCC to come up with what it says is the investigation and come up with the result,” Yari said.
Reacting to the report, EFCC in a statement on its twitter handle, @officialEFCC, said though investigation was ongoing on the reimbursement paid to state governments for excess Paris club deductions, it was yet to indict any governor or Senate President.
The commission said the investigation was still at its preliminary stage, even as it refuted insinuations of attempting to cover up for some officials of the commission.
The commission added that it would brief the public of the results of its investigation at the appropriate time.
