SAN FRANCISCO, December 19, (THEWILL) – Vice-President Yemi Osinbajo has explained that the $1 billion recently approved from the Excess Crude Account (ECA) is not only meant for the Boko Haram war.
THEWILL recalls that the Chairman of the Nigerian Governors Forum (NGF), Abdulaziz Yari, had, at a meeting of the National Economic Council (NEC), last Wednesday, announced that the governors had asked the Federal Government to withdraw $1bn from the ECA to fight insurgency.
The decision had attracted criticisms from groups and individuals, including the Ekiti State Governor, Ayodele Fayose; and the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
But speaking on Tuesday at the opening of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation/Secretaries to State Governments’ retreat at the Presidential Villa, Abuja, Osinbajo revealed that the sum was meant for all security challenges being experienced in all the states of the federation.
He explained that the governors resolved to approve the money for national security after a national security summit organised by the NEC about two months ago.
He stated that the summit considered various security challenges across the country, including kidnapping, small arms trafficking, terrorist activities of Boko Haram in the North East, clashes between herdsmen and farmers, as well as cattle rustling.
“It was on account of the security summit that the governors at the governors’ forum subsequently decided that they would vote a certain sum of money, which has become somewhat controversial, the $1bn,” he said.
“It was to assist all of the issues in the states, including policing in the states, community policing, all of the different security challenges that we have.
“It was after the security summit that the governors’ forum met across party lines in order to approve and to accept that this is what needed to be done to shore up our security architecture.”
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