Governor of Edo State, Comrade Adams Oshiomhole, on Friday alleged that former President Goodluck Jonathan and his Minister of Finance, Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, jointly denied his state of about N10bn in four years.
According to him, the figure was an estimate of what could have accrued to his state if the past administration had been faithful in remitting taxes paid by the Nigerian Liquefied Natural Gas Company and Shell Petroleum Development Company of Nigeria into the Consolidated Federation Account the same way the present administration of President Muhammadu Buhari just did.
Oshiomhole made this view known when in a chat with State House correspondents shortly after him and Rotimi Amaechi, the immediate past governor of Rivers State met with President Muhammadu Buhari at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.
The governor, however, pointed out that if the $1.6bn NLNG tax that Buhari used as bailout for states had come during Jonathan’s administration, it would have gone the same way it had been going without states benefitting.
He said he was happy with President Buhari because he made it clear that he would stop impunity and flagrant disobedience of law and order.
Oshiomhole said, “All the noise that have been generated over what happened last week, there was nothing extraordinary. What was extraordinary is that the NLNG has over the years been remitting funds to the Federal Government but the government illegally refused to transfer these funds to the Consolidated Revenue Fund which belongs to the three tiers of government.
“All that President Buhari has done is to, in line with his commitments to ensuring that all funds and money accruing to the Federation Account are remitted, that he has directed the Central Bank of Nigeria to transfer the funds to the consolidated funds.
“Our commissioners along with federal officials met last week to share those funds in line with the revenue allocation formula. If this money had come under the last administration, it will have gone the same way as in previous years.
“The NLNG is not starting fresh to remit. It has been doing that every year plus taxes paid by, I think Shell, amounting to about $500m added to the amount of $1.6bn from the NLNG that total to the amount of $2.1bn. That was the money that was shared.
“Imagine what Edo State got from this renewed transparency and total compliance to the spirit and letter of the constitution. If what we got last week, courtesy of this renewed commitment to transparency, if we had gotten this in the past four years consecutively, we would have made about N10bn.
“So, by the same token, Edo State Government had lost N10bn under Jonathan”.
MY EXCELLENCY I BELIEVE U TILL TOMORROW . U AND MY PAST GOV AMEACHI ARE THE ENEMY OF IMPUNITY IN DIS COUNTRY. SIR PLS CARRY GOOOOOO
what is this wicked short man saying again,Oshiomhole loves playing the victim, mind you Dr Ngozi didnt deny him any access to the money,he only knows how to bad mouth and condemn the innocent woman,after what she has done for this country.
Dr Ngozi Okonjo Iweala is the type of leader we are searching for,transparency and accountability,no one has been able to fill the role she left behind,people like oshiomhole should not be given much attention too,he has been badmouthing NOI since,he also claimed all sort of damaging lies against her,mr miserable man,your evil plan will not succeed
If you have a personal beef for the former president, that is your cup of tea, leave Madam Okonjo-Iweala out of this. This only goes to show your level of maturity, how can you dish out figures like it is #5, please let this woman be.
Oshiomhola has exhausted Edo State’s vault on child marriage, why wouldn’t he vent his anger on Dr. Okonjo-Iweala. The simple logic being, she did her job to be best of her knowledge and had little or no tolerance for corruption. It is normal for Oshiomhole to rant, he is broke!
Madam Okonjo-Iweala diserves a written and verbal apology from Oshiomhole, he deos not deserve any immunity for this rubbish. He deliberately wants to tarnish the image of this wonderful woman, remember it is turn by turn. Stop using your position to manipulate the good people of Nigeria, we are not daft!
Oshiomhole should be checked or arrested for these unnecessary lies, he is a complete male chauvinist and he cannot accept that a woman is more knowledgeable than he can ever be. It is interesting to know that he is all out to spoil the image of Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, you have failed sir!