Following Federal Government’s suspension of Sanusi Lamido Sanusi as Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) governor, the Nigeria Governors’ Forum under the leadership of Rivers State governor, Rotimi Amaechi has fixed an emergency meeting for Monday to take position on that contentious matter.
Group Managing Director of Zenith Bank Plc, Mr. Godwin Emefiele has since been announced as replacement.
A statement from the Director- General of the Forum of 36 states governors, Asishana Okauru, made available to newsmen yesterday, disclosed a two-pronged agenda for the emergency meeting: “Removal of the CBN Governor; Dwindling revenue to states; AOB.” The meeting will hold at Rivers State Governor’s Lodge, Asokoro, Abuja with Rotimi Amaechi presiding.
Recall that the federal government had premised its action to axe the governor of the apex bank on alleged cases of impunity, incompetence, fraud, wastefulness, and non-compliance with provisions of the Public Procurement Act 2007.
Saturday Sun checks revealed that before the startling disclosures from the axed governor of the CBN, accusing NNPC of alleged diversion of crude oil sales earnings and spending funds not appropriated by the National Assembly, the governors have consistently expressed reservations over what they noted was lack of transparency by the NNPC in the management of crude oil earnings and further alleged that the office of the Accountant General of the Federation of connivance.
At their meeting held on September 18, 2013, the governors in their communiqué demanded the resignation of the Finance Minister and Coordinating Minister of the Economy, Dr Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala over non compliance with the revenue projections of the Federal Government of Nigeria 2013 Budget, which they noted was a direct breach of the provisions of the Appropriation Act, 2013.
They further reiterated their “earlier call to the National Assembly for the separation of the office of the Accountant General of the Federation from that of the Accountant General of the Federal
Government for accountability and better management of the economy.”
Also recall that eleven APC governors (before their rank was swelled by 5 PDP governors that defected) which met on October 22, 2013 at the Ekiti State Governor’s Lodge under the aegis of the Progressives Governors Forum, restated their aversion to what they called the unconstitutional deduction from Federation Account by the federal government, which they claimed had led to about 40 percent loss in their revenue earned from Federation Account in the last few months.
The host governor, Dr Kayode Fayemi who spoke with newsmen on behalf of his colleagues further submitted that there was no basis for incomplete allocation to states from the Federation Account by the federal government.
TheSun
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