The Governor of Katsina State, Aminu Masari, has said that the controversy generated over the decision of Nigeria’s 36 governors to allow the federal government use $1 billion from the Excess Crude Account to fight Boko Haram insurgency is unnecessary.
Mr. Masari stated this on Monday in Tahoua, Niger Republic while speaking with State House correspondents.
He said going by the antecedents of President Muhammadu Buhari, it is not possible for the money to be diverted.
“I think it is controversial. People may be remembering that during the last administration when excess crude money was given to members of the armed forces to procure arms and ammunition, the money ended up in the pocket of some highly placed individuals.
“First of all, the money that we are giving is not up to half of what was given earlier, but we know now that with the current president it is impossible for anybody to divert this money except for what it is earmarked for,” he said.
He also said it is important not to lose sight of the dangers posed by insecurity, which, he said, is “everybody’s business.”
“It is very important for us to appreciate security is everybody’s business and we need to fight this situation head on.
“One billion dollars is not much for security. If we have more, we can give more to make sure that the country is well secured,” he said.
The Katsina Governor represented President Buhari as head of a four person delegation at an event to commemorate the 59th anniversary of the country’s attainment of Republican status.
Nigerian governors last week announced the decision to approve the money at the end of the meeting of the National Economic Council, NEC, which held in Abuja.
However, one of their colleagues, the Governor of Ekiti State, Ayodele Fayose, and his party, the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, expressed the fear that the money may be diverted for political purposes ahead of the 2019 election.
Mr. Masari, however, said those expressing the fear may be doing so because of what happened in the past. He however, assured that Mr. Buhari cannot allow that to happen.
The Katsina governor also confirmed that most states have received the balance of the Paris Club loan refund from the federal government.
He also assured that all civil servants will be paid their entire entitlements before the end of the year as promised.
The governors two weeks ago met with the president and requested for the release of the money.
While assuring them of the release, Mr. Buhari asked the governors to ensure that they clear liabilities of salaries and pensions in their states before Christmas.
Mr. Masari on Monday said “ by Christmas, everybody will be able to get his salary and whatever allowances are outstanding especially in the area of pension and gratuity.”
He said in his own case, he has already paid civil servants their salaries to date.
“No state can have any excuse not to pay before Christmas, in fact celebrations have already started. It is my hope and prayers that all that have gotten the money have paid their workers, both salaries, allowances, pension and gratuity.”
On the trip to Niger Republic, the Katsina governor said the Nigerien leader and the people of the country had shown their appreciation to the efforts being made by Mr. Buhari with regards to the progress and unity of the West African sub region and Africa as a whole.
“It has been demonstrated, Nigeria has been appreciated and collectively, we believe the sub-Saharan Africa, especially this part, will unite and achieve two major issues: one, to conquer insurgency and also to improve the quality of life through economic activities. I think these two things are key for the region to move forward,” he said.
Military might, Culture on display
Although Niger Republic acquired independence in 1960, the country had two years earlier, on December 18, 1958, been declared as a republic.
To this end, authorities in the country have been celebrating the day annually in different states of the country.
During this years’s event, which held in the state of Tahoua, guests were treated to military parade, display of military hardware and cultural procession.
President Muhammadu Issoufou also gave national honours to citizens at the event.
Apart from the host president, the occasion was witnessed by the President of Chad, Idris Derby; that of Burkina Faso, Roch Kabore; Mali’s Ibrahim Keita as well as President Mohammed Abdelaziz of Mauritania.
Mr. Issoufou gave each of the visiting presidents and Mr. Buhari a gift of a camel and a horse each.
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