Wike threatens to sue over plans for fresh withdrawal from excess crude account

Rivers State governor Friday said the Nigerian Governors Forum (NGF) endorsement of fresh withdrawal of fund by the federal government from the Excess Crude Account will be contested in court.

“What happened to the $1 billion withdrawn from Excess Crude Account in 2017 on the stance that it will be used to fund the fight against Boko Haram insurgents in the North-East?” Wike said on Twitter.

“Yesterday, I was told that the governors agreed that they will take money from Excess Crude [Account] to support military. What of the one they took before, the $1billion that they gave to the military?”

Nigeria Governors Forum (NGF) on Thursday said it will dedicate portions of the excess crude account, natural resource development fund and the economic stabilisation fund to provide support for the procurement of necessary military equipment to address the insecurity challenges in the country.

Kayode Fayemi, chairman of the forum and Ekiti governor, announced the decisions following the kidnapped of Kagara school students on Tuesday.

Fayemi said the agreement was reached by the governors after an emergency meeting held at the banquet hall of the state house.

He said the governors have provided financial support to victims of conflicts in some states.

The NGF chairma added that the governors are committed to the protection of lives and property in their various states.

Wike, however, said the NGF decision would be contested in court unless the state is given 13 per cent derivation fund.

The Rivers state governor said he will not support the governors decision except they give his state 13 percent first from that Excess Crude Account.

“This one, I’ll tell my Attorney General; you will have to prepare, we will go to court,” Wike said. “I will not support that one except they’ll give us our 13 percent first from that Excess Crude Account.”