The Ekiti State Governor, Ayodele Fayose, has queried President Muhammadu Buhari’s approval of $1 billion for the procurement of security equipment to fight Boko Haram insurgency, describing it as “pooling of public funds for the purpose of funding President Buhari’s reelection as well as the coming governorship elections in Ekiti and Osun States.”
The governor also demanded to know whether or not the $1 billion was from the Excess Crude Account.
Fayose said: “It will be illegal and against the principle of federalism that operates in Nigeria for the President, who is the head of just one of the federating units to approve spending of fund belonging to the three tiers of government without the consent of heads of other federating units.”
In a statement issued in Ado Ekiti on Wednesday and signed by his Special Assistant on Public Communications and New Media, Lere Olayinka, Governor Fayose said: “When did the National Assembly approve the spending of the $1 billion? Or can the President spend $1 billion belonging to Nigerians without the approval of the National Assembly?
“Nigerians required explanations from the federal government as to where the $1 billion will be sourced because the President lacked power to unilaterally spend money from the Excess Crude Account. Not even when there is a pending suit by Ekiti State Local Council Chairmen, challenging the powers the 36 state governors to purportedly execute the constitutional duty of the Federal government without the their consent.