Track UpNews
24 November 2022
The planned payment of $418 million and the promissory notes issued to the Paris Club consultants by the Federal Ministry of Finance and the Debt Management Office has been stopped by the Nigeria Governors Forum.
This was disclosed on Wednesday in a communiqué signed by the NGF Chairman and Sokoto State Governor, Aminu Tambuwal, issued after their 8th teleconference meeting which was held on Tuesday night.
Report say the 36 state governors which made up the forum vowed to continue to explore all legal channels at their disposal to ensure that ‘’resources belonging to states are not unjustly or illegally paid to a few in the guise of consultancies.
“Regarding the controversial $418 million Paris Club refund and promissory notes issued to consultants by the Federal Ministry of Finance and the Debt Management Office, the forum remains resolute in exploring all legal channels available to it in ensuring that resources belonging to states are not unjustly or illegally paid to a few in the guise of consultancies.’’ they stated.
On his part, the Minister of Justice and Attorney-General of the Federation, Abubakar Malami, SAN, had said that the NGF had no basis to reject the proposed deductions of $418m from the federation account, noting that the governors created the liability whose payment they had also indemnified.
It was gathered that Malami while briefing newsmen onAugust 11, said the governors commonly agreed on the engagement of the consultants to provide certain services for them relating to the recovery of the Paris Club fund.
“When successes were recorded in the refund process, the governors collectively and individually presented a request to the Federal Government for the fund and among the components of the claim presented for the consideration of the Federal Government was the payment of these consultants that are now constituting the subject of contention,’’ the minister stated.
“But rising from their Tuesday meeting, the governors expressed opposition to the move to pay the consultants despite the DMO promissory note”. he added.
Responding to the forum’s resolution, a former lawmaker and one of the consultants, Ned Nwoko threatened to enforce the payment in a foreign court and freeze the federation accounts adding that the governors will only embarrass the Federal Government.
“When I do that and the accounts of the Federal Government are frozen, they will not need the governors’ authority to pay.” He explaned.
Although Nwoko did not mention the foreign country, findings show the consultants may head for France, where the secretariat of the Paris Club is located.
However, he did not disclose the foreign country he would use in executing his threat.
Punchonline
