Lawyer and rights activist, Femi Falana, has urged the immediate past Minister of Finance, Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, to tender an unreserved apology to Nigerians over her role in the unauthorised withdrawal of $2bn from the Excess Crude Revenue Account.
Mr. Falana made the call in a statement Monday, following Mrs. Okonjo-Iweala’s claim that the withdrawal was authorised by former President Goodluck Jonathan, reversing from her earlier statement that it was approved by the Federation Accounts Allocation Committee.
The former minister reactions followed an allegation by the governor of Edo State, Adams Oshiomhole, that she unilaterally withdrew $2 from the Excess Crude Account.
Mrs. Okonjo-Iweala initially said the claim was “totally without foundation” as the decision to spend the money was discussed with states’ finance commissioners.
After the commissioners denied giving such approval, the former minister said the spending was done on the instruction of Mr. Jonathan.
On Monday, Mr. Oshiomhole accused Mrs. Okonjo-Iweala of using the money to fund Mr. Jonathan’s re-election bid.
Mr. Falana queried the legality of unilaterally withdrawing money from the account, even where it was approved by Mr. Jonathan.
“Assuming without conceding that the release of the whopping sum $2 bn was approved by the president, is Mrs Okonjo-Iweala saying that funds belonging to the three tiers of Government could be unilaterally withdrawn from the ECA by the Federal Government?”
“As the Coordinating Minister of the Economy did she draw the attention of President Jonathan to the illegality of withdrawing funds from the ECA without the approval of the states and the local governments, the co-owners of the fund?”
In spite of the alleged payment of $2 bn for fuel subsidy in December 2014, fuel marketers have continued to embark on strikes over the alleged non-payment of N200 billion subsidy money.
Therefore , Falana concluded that since the deed has be done and no revocation whatsoever can be done,she should just act mature and apologise to Nigerians for betraying their trust
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