Some oil marketers, who were indicted for illegally
collecting over N400 billion subsidy fund for fuel they did not import, have
started refunding the money.
This is just as governors of the 36 states of the
federation backed the Federal Government in its efforts to recover the subsidy
claims from the marketers.
Governor Peter Obi of Anambra State, who disclosed the
governors’ position at the end of the National Economic Council meeting, said
the governors were excited that the Federal Government’s effort had started to
yield result as some marketers had started to make refunds.
According to Obi, Nigerians need to show understanding
by supporting the Federal Government’s efforts at recovering the funds.
He said: “The National Executive Council, NEC,
commended the Federal Government on its present stand in the prosecution of
those who were wrongly paid subsidy money and on the need for them to refund it
fully. From the report we got today, some have started refunding.
“It is a serious case that people were paid for vessels
that were not anywhere near the Nigerian waters. And I think when Federal
Government does a thing that is courageous and right, it should be encouraged
and that can, at least, give it the courage to do more.
“So, we support the Federal Government in the effort to
clean up the entire value chain and process of petroleum industry; they have
our full support.”
He said NEC also considered a presentation by the
Minister of Information, Labaran Maku, on the planned non-partisan Good
Governance Publicity Tour being jointly organised by his ministry and the
National Planning Commission.
He said the exercise was meant to monitor, evaluate and
showcase Federal and states’ projects across the six geo-political zones and so
was a worthwhile venture.
Governor Obi disclosed that Council also directed the
Governors’ Forum to set up a committee that would meet with the Federal
Ministry of Information and National Planning Commission to review the
logistics for the tour and agree on the date of commencement.
Also, Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, Coordinating Minister
for the Economy and Minister of Finance, briefed NEC on the progress being made
by the Subsidy Reinvestment Programme, SURE-P, youth engagement and employment
initiative, and endorsed the plan to launch the programme in the states to
sensitise the people on the processes of job selection and payment to
beneficiaries, beginning from September 6.
Obi added that Dr. Okonjo-Iweala and the Minister for
Environment, Mrs. Hadiza Ibrahim Mailafia’s brief on the Nigeria Erosion and
Watershed Management Project, NEWMAP, interest-free $500 million facility was
also reviewed by the NEC.
According to him, the ministers explained that the
medium term soft loan with a 40-year duration and 10 years moratorium was meant
to check gully erosion in the South-East and other parts of the country, which
is increasingly threatening lives and livelihoods of millions of Nigerians.
Consequently, he said, NEC directed the Ministry of
Finance and the Governors Forum to immediately hold further discussions on the
pending $500 million loan.