Newsfront Online …Telling the Public as it is
The lead consultants working on the London and Paris Club refunds yesterday accused state governors on the platform of the Nigerian Governors Forum (NGF) of dishing out tissues of lies as regards the $418 million Paris Club Refund.
They also disclosed that contrary to what is in the media space, the money being owed the consultants was $68 million and not $418 million. Senator Ned Nwoko, who addressed newsmen in Abuja, also alleged that the governors demanded and received the sum of $100 million to prosecute elections in some states.
He further alleged that when he submitted a bill of $350 million as the consultancy fee, the state governors demanded to be paid 50 percent of it before it could be honored. Nwoke further alleged that a former chairman of the forum had explained at that time had explained to him that the money was needed to prosecute elections in Bauchi, Ekiti and Ondo states. According to him, the Ministry of Justice intervened and the governors eventually received the sum of $100 million.
Speaking on what it being owed the consultants, Nwoke explained that the consultants had nothing to do with $418 million, which he said must be a miscalculation. He also absolved the attorney general of the federation, Abubakar Malami, of any wrongdoing as he said the minister was only trying to ensure that the law was obeyed. Nwoko stated that the agreements and judgment being executed were reached before the Muhammadu Buhari administration.
The lead consultants also accused the chairman of the NGF and Governor of Ekiti State, Kayode Fayemi, of telling a litany of lies of over the payment to the consultants. Recall the governors had during their last meeting, debunked comments credited to Malami where he dismissed as noising making and no basis for rejection of the deductions of $418 million from the Paris Club refund.
The governors had said that all the claims made by the AGF were lies and his actions are self-serving and fraudulent, vowing to pursue the matter to the highest court of the land.
(leadership.ng)
