From: Ighomuaye Lucky, Benin
The lawmaker representing Ikpoba-Okha/Egor Federal Constituency in the National Assembly, Hon. Ehiozuwa Agbonayinma, has tasked President Mohammadu Buhari to ensure that state governors were made to account for the first batch of Paris Club refund they collected.
Agbonayinma said it was wrong for the state governors to collect the money without carrying local government coucils along in the disbursement.
Addressing newsmen in Benin-City, the Edo State capital, Hon. Agbonayinma, said it was the local government councils under the auspices of Association of Local Government of Nigeria (ALGON) that engaged lawyers for the refund of the money.
Agbonayinma said it was proper for President Buhari to know how the first batch of money was expended before another disbursement of the loan refund.
According to him, “This money belongs to Nigerians but the local governments have not been carried along. The governors have decided to take local government for a ride. It is constitutional right for local government to exist.
“It was the ALGON who engaged lawyers to see how the money can be refunded back to the Federal government.
“Having done that, the right thing was to involve those that made it possible for the money to be refunded and rather the money was paid to Governors Forum.
“Governors Forum is another parallel government. The governors should go back to their various states and provide governance. Some governors don’t have the interest of the people at heart.
“Some of the money paid in the first tranche went to voice mail. Some have gotten to private pockets. Some states have not paid salaries or pensioners from the loan refund.
“Those who fought for the money to return to Nigeria should benefit from the Paris Club refund. This action of the governors is totally wrong.”