CRIME & CORRUPTION: The Nigerian Governor Forum (NGF), a union of Nigerian state governors have vowed to challenge the Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice and some “consultants” over issues lingering over the Paris fund refund.
What We Know
The Attorney General of the Federation (AGF), Abubakar Malami had recently been making relentless effort to force the payment of certain amount of money amounting into Millions of United States Dollars to some certain “consultants” allegedly engaged by the NGF in respect of the Paris fund refund.
The consultants were allegedly engaged by the Nigeria Governors’ Forum (NGF), to help ascertain some technical issues about the repayment to the states, the NGF have now denied and debunked the version of the story as told by Malami, referring to them as “lies”.
Arising from their meeting on Wednesday the NGF criticized the Minister of Justice and Attorney General of the Federation, describing the claims he has made about the issue and the actions he has taken in favour of the consultants as fraudulent and self-serving.
Malami has been conversing for the immediate release of over $418m of the Paris Club refund to the consultants, whose identity he did not reveal in a television program on Channels TV that was monitored by a Clariform reporter.
Addressing the media after the Wednesday meeting, the Chairman of the NGF, Governor Kayode Fayemi of Ekiti State, said that governors have vowed to employ all legal means to ensure that the so called consultancies and the claims made Malami are fully tried before the nation apex court.
Notable Quotes
In a communique released after the NGF meeting, which was read by Governor Fayemi, the following were said: “Governors extensively reviewed the purported attempts by the Attorney General of the Federation and the Minister of Finance, to circumvent the law and a recent judgment of the Supreme Court to secure the approval of the federal legislative council to effect illegal payment of a sum of $418 million to contractors who allegedly executed consultancy in respect to the Paris Club refund, to state and local governments.
“The forum set up a committee comprising the chairman, the governor of Ekiti state, the vice chairman, the governor of Ondo State, the governor of Plateau State, the governor of Nasarawa state, and the governor of Ebonyi State to interface with the committee set up by Mr. President to review the matter.
“But the position of the Governors’ Forum is clear and unequivocal. Although this matter is subjudice and we are very reluctant to get in the way of a matter that is still being pursued in the court. We’re constrained by the manner in which the honorable attorney has been going around various media houses and purporting to create the impression that this is a liability to which governors had committed themselves to and agreed to, even though he is very much aware that that’s not the case.
“And we reject all of the claims that he has made on this issue. And we also insist that state will not give up on insisting that these purported claims are fraudulent and will not stand as far as governors are concerned and we would take every constitutional and legal means to ensure that these purported consultancy are fully litigated upon by the highest court in the land.
“If the courts now fine governors, and the Nigerian governors forum and state liable, then we will cross that bridge when get there. As far as we’re concerned, this is a matter that governors feel very strongly about and we do not believe that the Attorney General of the Federation is acting in the public interest, we believe he is acting in personal, selfish interest that will ultimately become clear when this matter is fully addressed, in the law court.”
The governors said: “On the prolonged strike by Nigerian universities. The forum encourages the federal government and the academic staff union of universities to find meaningful resolutions to the lingering impasse and as proposed to engage with both parties just as we have done in the past in a bid to end in the strike.”
On the state of the economy, the governors said: “Finally, the forum extensively discussed the state of the Nigerian economy and security. Following a presentation by Mr. Bismarck Rewane, a member of the President’s Economic Advisory Council. The forum resolved to immediately engage with the federal government and other critical stakeholders labour, the presidential candidates of political parties and corporate actors on finding resolutions and suggestion to implement a set of immediate actions to ameliorate the worsening economic conditions in the country.”
Catch-up
Abubakar Malami, the Minister of Justice and Attorney General of the Federation had recently made a strong case on why over 418 Million USD must be paid to the consultants.
Speaking at the State House Ministerial Briefing organised by Presidential Communications Team, Malami had said that the governors under the NGF signed up to the liability and have also indemnified the federal government for the payment of the money to the consultants.
Therefore, according the AGF, the governors are merely making noise by complaining about the payment, and all the “noise making that is now being generated arising from the Governors forum” are baseless and has no justification.
The Minister`s contention is for the deduction of the said amount from the Paris Fund at source, and had contended that the Nigerian Governors Forum have no reason to complain or refuse the payment as they have already signed up to it.
Consequently, the governors have questioned Malami on whose interest he is actually serving in the case, even as the nation`s AGF – whether he is serving a personal interest or the interest of the Nigerian public.
The NGF Chairman have therefore disclosed that the group is committed to unraveling the situation by allowing the governors’ liability if any at all to be determined by the court of law.
