The governor of Ekiti state Ayodele Fayose, has filed a suit before a federal high court in Abuja, challenging the decision of other governors to approve $1 billion for the fight against insurgency.
Fayose had immediately kicked against the decision when it was announced last week that governors had agreed that the federal government should withdraw the amount from the excess crude account.
Speaking with on Tuesday, December 19, 2017, Fayose said Ekiti should be given its own share of the $1 billion for its fight against “hunger haram”.
Ekiti State is expected to collect the sum of N4,772,836,647.08 when the fund is shared among the states.
“I’m not in support of $1 billion and will never be in support of it. In my state, we have agreed to go to court to contest this. It is our legitimate right, all accruals to the federation must be shared by the three tiers of government and for me to get justice I have to go to court,” he said.
“I filed the case in court as early as 12 noon today. I have options and I have said it expressly, I have gone to court… I have taken appropriate steps because the money belongs to Ekiti people not to any other use.
“I did not attend the meeting where the issue was discussed, even if I was part of the meeting I would have made it expressly clear that I will not support it. Every state has its own peculiarities in terms of security. Ekiti state has Hunger Haram… hunger is everywhere. Whatever is in that money, for me we should share it, let everybody go and solve his own problem. I have challenges and they should give me my money. It is Ekiti money.”
The governor further stressed that his battle against the decisions of other governors to approval the funds is not in his capacity as the chairman of PDP governors’ forum but solely as Ayo Fayose.
Meanwhile Gov. Seriake Dickson of Bayelsa has explained that the Governors’ Forum’s decision to grant Federal Government permission to utilize one billion Dollars from the Excess Crude Account for security was taken in good fate.
Dickson said the decision was not a political one but meant to strengthen the country’s security apparatus.
News Credit: Pulse.ng
