Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, minister of finance and coordinating minister of the economy, says Rotimi Amaechi, governor of Rivers state, received a total of N N257.6 billion from the federation account between January and October 2013.
Okonjo-Iweala said the governors’ forum had no basis asking her to account for $20 billion from the excess crude account (ECA) because details of the ECA are published every month.
She added that the ECA is discussed at every monthly session of the federal accounts allocation committee (FAAC), where all the state commissioners of finance are usually present.
“Rivers received N257.6 billion from the Federation Account between January and October 2013,” she said in a statement issued by Paul Nwabuikwu, her spokesman, in Abuja on Tuesday.
Advertisement
“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.”
The minister directed governors who need further explanation on the account to consult their commissioners.
Advertisement
Okonjo-Iweala added that Amaechi, who read the communiqué of the governors early on Tuesday, made unsubstantiated claims that N5 billion was missing in 2013.
“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.
“Gov. Rotimi Amaechi of Rivers, who was reported to have read the communique on behalf of the governors, made a similar unsubstantiated allegation in November 2013.
“He alleged in November 2013 that $5 billion was missing from the ECA but we subsequently showed with facts that the amount was not missing.”
Advertisement
The statement added that in the interest of transparency and accountability, the ministry of finance would, in a couple of days, publish the details of the ECA for the last four years.
6 comments
When will illiterate Nigerian masses begin to ask their state governors and local govt chairmen for accountability? The federal ministers are not elected officers, they do not have your mandate therefore they are not answerable to you! They are answerable to the elected officers who appointed them. You need to understand who you should be demanding accountability from – the President, senators, fed legislators, governors, state legislators, local govt chairmen and their councillors! Those are the only elected officers!
Fire on the mountain. Finance Minister should publish not only the ECA account but also the total allocation each state got on monthly basis. The corruption we are talking about is mainly at the state level. Madam let’s go there please
i don’t really care what kind of explanation she gave. I repeat again. If she can swear with her own grave that she did not loot anything as the finance minister, then I may reconsider my opinion but I guarantee everybody right now she won’t try it because she lied in front of the whole world when Richard Quest of CNN was interviewed her.
What exactly is ur point? She made her point and with figures, if they were wrong, they should be countered. Too much hate can be self-destructive.
Amaechi claim to be a saint in a black garment. He can only pretend for those he can deceive. is he even transparent in his own state? Him alone can say were the missing money is.
Tell us more! We expect nothing but confessions on how our funds were looted. Iweala is in the best position to say who got what between 2009 till date. I wonder if she’d be this bold and “this honest” to disclose how much she and her boss embezzled!