APC Chieftain Backs Fayose’s Opposition Of Buhari’s $1bn ECA Withdrawal
Femi Gbajabiamila, leader of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the 8th House of Assembly, has backed Governor Ayodele Fayose’s opposition of President Muhammadu Buhari’s bid to withdraw $1 billion from the Excess Crude Account (ECA) to fight Boko Haram insurgency.
Gbajabiamila said due process was not observed by the Nigerian Governors Forum (NGF) in approving the said fund.
Recall that Governor Fayose had questioned why the Muhammadu Buhari administration is seeking to withdraw $1 billion from the ECA “if not to fund President Buhari’s re-election in 2019?”
Since they said they have defeated Boko Haram, what else do they need a whopping sum of $1 billion (over N360 billion) for; if not to fund President Buhari’s re-election in 2019?
— Peter Ayodele Fayose (@GovAyoFayose) December 15, 2017
For posterity sake, I wish to place it on record that I was not among the governors, who approved the withdrawal of $1bn, almost half of our savings in the Excess Crude Account, which belongs to the three tiers of govt to fight an already defeated Boko Haram.
— Peter Ayodele Fayose (@GovAyoFayose) December 15, 2017
Throwing his weight behind Fayose, the lawmaker representing Surulere Federal Constituency said Governor Fayose has the right to kick against the move.
Gbajabiamila further argued that the governor’s forum should have sought approval from their state house of assemblies before approving the sum.
“The ECA I have always maintained is an illegal account and I instituted a court action against it during then Jonathan administration. Unfortunately, until a final decision has been made by the courts the account is still operative,” the lawmaker said in a statement by his media aide, Olanrewaju-Smart Wasiu.
“Where the governors have decided to ‘donate’ some of their funds from the ECA to fight Boko Haram, their state assemblies can kick against it that such was not appropriated by them.
“I do agree that due process wasn’t followed by the governors as they should have sought approval of their states before the donation. It is however not for the national assembly to complain on behalf of the state assemblies.
“This is part of the principle of separation of powers in a constitutional democracy. The national assembly can only discuss the portion of the federal government money spent if any.
“On whether governor Fayose or any other governor has a right to kick I believe he does.
“No matter how inappropriate if he does not accede to the request or deduction from his state’s portion there is no amount of consensus that can bind him as postulated by the chairman of the governors forum because such portion belongs to his state and not to the governors forum. So he may be entitled to a refund.”