Amaechi lied about Excess Crude Account, Rivers has received N56bn in 2013 – Okonjo-Iweala

The Federal Government on Monday denied the allegation by Rivers State Governor, Mr. Rotimi Amaechi, that$5billion was missing from the Excess Crude Account.

Amaechi, had while speaking at the Nigerian Governors’ Forum retreat held in Sokoto on Saturday, said there was $9billion in the account in January , but that the amount had depleted without any explanation.

He had said, “The Excess Crude Account in January was $9bn. That account belongs to federal, states and local governments. Today, it is $4bn. We don’t know who took the $5bn.”

Amaechi also accused the Federal Government of using anti-corruption agencies for political vendetta against opponents.

His words: “Today the EFCC is either in Jigawa or in Kano because they disagree with the President. What about NNPC? What about the Ministry of Niger Delta and the Ministry of Works? he asked.

“The whole governors put together, we receive 26 per cent from the revenue of the Federation. The Federal Government gets 52 per cent. And with that 52 per cent, nobody goes after the Federal Government to say ‘how did you spend it’?

“And then you go after those who got 26 per cent. Even if you recover all the 26 per cent, what have you benefited from it as against those who have stolen 52 per cent?”

But while defending how the account was managed, the Ministry of Finance, in a statement, described the claim by the governor as “absolutely shocking and false.”

It stated that Amaechi could not deny knowledge of the management of the fund, adding that the governor’s claim was false.

The Ministry further disclosed that the Rivers state received N56.2bn in the first nine months of 2014 from the Excess Crude Account.