Governors under the aegis of the Nigerian Governors’ Forum (NGF) have accused the federal government of illegal deductions from the Federation Account of funds used in offsetting oil subsidy payments and resolved to head for the Supreme Court to seek redress
The governors also constituted an Economic and Security Intervention Committee to meet President Goodluck Jonathan on an emergency economic intervention plan focusing on agriculture and other economic regeneration.
The 36 governors stated this yesterday in Abuja in a communiqué read by the chairman of the forum and Rivers State governor, Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi.
The communiqué reads in part: “The forum deliberated extensively on the continuing illegal deductions from the Federation Account towards offsetting oil subsidy payments, Excess Crude Account and other unconstitutional withdrawals by the federal government and unanimously resolved to go to court to seek legal redress.
“On the recurring insecurity in the country, Forum sympathised with the government and people of Plateau State on the recent loss of lives and property and appealed to the federal government to urgently commence the recruitment, intensive training, equipping and proper deployment of security agents across the country. Forum also called on the customs and immigration services to tighten security at the nation’s borders.
“The Forum resolved to constitute an Economic and Security Intervention Committee, with membership from Rivers, Bayelsa, Ekiti, Abia, Plateau, Adamawa and Zamfara States, to meet with Mr. President on an emergency economic intervention plan focusing initially on agriculture and other economic regeneration programmes for employment generation in the northern states.
Meanwhile, the Senate has blamed the looming bankruptcy of many states on the corruption of State governors, stressing that no state is supposed to be bankrupt.
The Senate, which stated this yesterday while considering the report of the Senate joint committee on the looming danger of bankruptcy in states and need for fiscal evaluation, however, sought the review of the revenue allocation formula presently in operation.