INSECURITY: Summon Buhari Over $1bn ECA Fund, PDP Urges National Assembly
The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has urged the National Assembly to summon President Muhammadu Buhari over the $1 billion his administration took from the Excess Crude Account (ECA) in 2017 to fight insecurity.
PDP asked the National Assembly to rely on its powers as provided for under sections 88 and 89 of the 1999 Constitution (as amended) to invite Buhari to account for how he utilised the insurgency fund.
The opposition party made the call in a statement on Sunday by its National Publicity Secretary, Mr Kola Ologbondiyan.
Meanwhile, the Presidency had reacted to a previous statement by the PDP where the opposition party claimed that the President may have diverted the money into his campaigns ahead of the 2019 presidential election.
“It is on record that the Buhari administration paid about $490m for a dozen Super Tucano fighter aircraft in a direct, government-to-government (no contractors or commission agents) transaction with government of the United States,” the Presidency said in reaction to PDP’s previous statement asking Buhari to account for the money.
“Other military procurement has been made. Balance of expenditure stands at about $880m,” said presidential aide, Mallam Garba Shehu.
But despite the explanation offered by the Presidency, the PDP is asking the National Assembly to investigate how Buhari spent the fund “which was drawn from the ECA by his Presidency without recourse to legislative appropriation.”
The statement further reads, “The demand by the PDP is predicated on allegations of complicity in the public space against the Buhari Presidency, following its failure to address the matter since the National Security Adviser (NSA), Gen. Babagana Mongunu (rtd), who is in charge of the nation’s security architecture, confessed that he is not aware of the whereabouts of the money.
“Whereas section 88 gives the National Assembly the overriding powers to conduct investigations to, among other things, expose corruption and inefficiency in administration of public funds, section 89 empowers it, among other things, to summon ANY PERSON in Nigeria to give evidence or produce any document under his possession or control, related to the issues under investigation
“The PDP therefore urges the National Assembly to uphold the constitution by inviting President Buhari to produce documents that approved the withdrawal of the money, the terms of withdrawal, the channeling of the funds, as well as those involved in its handling.
“The party further implores the federal legislature to stand in the interest of the nation and resist all plots by the All Progressives Congress (APC) and the cabal at the Presidency to sweep the matter under the carpet.
“The PDP calls on the legislators to reflect on the pains of Nigerians, particularly, victims of killings, bloodlettings, kidnappings and other acts of violence, which continued unrepressed, while funds meant for security were reportedly being frittered.
“This is especially as allegation in the public space remain rife that funds meant for security in our nation were diverted to finance APC 2019 election campaigns, while insecurity fester in our country.
“The PDP notes that since the Buhari Presidency and the APC do not have any cogent clarifications, the National Assembly should exercise its investigative powers under the constitution to interrogate the issue as well as recover the money in the general interest.”