$1bn ECA fund not for B’Haram war alone – Osinbajo

Vice-President Yemi Osinbajo, on Tuesday, said the much-criticised $1bn that state governors asked the Federal Government to withdraw from the Excess Crude Account was not meant for the fight against insurgency alone.

He said the sum was meant for all security challenges being experienced in all the states of the federation.

Osinbajo gave the clarification at the opening of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation/Secretaries to State Governments’ retreat at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.

The Chairman of the Nigeria Governors Forum, Abdulaziz Yari, had, at a  meeting of the National Economic Council 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.

But Osinbajo explained that the state governors resolved to approve the money for national security after a national security summit organised by the NEC about two months ago.

He explained that the summit considered various security challenges across the country, including kidnapping, small arms trafficking, terrorists’ activities of Boko Haram in the North-East, clashes between herdsmen and farmers as well as cattle rustling.

The Vice-President added, “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, to assist the security architecture of the country.

“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, again I must add, in order to approve and to accept that this is what was needed to be done to shore up our security architecture.”

Osinbajo’s explanation was however in contrast with the statement made by the Edo State Governor, Godwin Obaseki, while addressing State House correspondents at the end of the NEC’s meeting.

Obaseki was clear in his presentation that the $1bn was approved for the fight against insurgency.

Meanwhile, the Vice-President has observed that there would be no visible progress if relevant state government agencies do not work with the Federal Government to achieve the country’s developmental objectives.