Paris Club Fund: Govs Attack Malami Over $418m Consultants’ Fees
- Governors across the 36 states in Nigeria have condemned the move by the Attorney General of the Federation to pay consultants $418 million
- The consultants are said to have been expecting the money as a fee for facilitating the release of the funds to the country
- According to the governors, the move by Abubakar Malami on the matter does not speak well for someone who is supposed to be representing the Nigerian people
The Attorney general of the Federation, Abubakar Malami, has been accused of having a personal interest in the controversial $418 million consultants fees with respect to the Paris Club Fund.
Punch reports that governors under the Nigerian Governors' Forum said the AGF in its claim that deduction is from the fund meant for states by the federal government is lawful.
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Attorney General's loyal to the Nigerian nation in doubt?
A statement by the head of media and public affairs for the NGF, Abdulrazaque Bello-Barkindo, said the position of the AGF on the matter where he declared open support for the consultants against the states “raises questions of propriety and the spirit of justice.”
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Bello-Barkindo said the payment which was under contention was made in favour of private contractors rather than states or local government for which Malami ought to be representing.
According to the NGF, there is a need to clearly understand that the AGF is supposed to be the chief arbiter in all the cases that concerns Nigeria as a people and ensure that justice is done.
He further advised Malami to remain neutral and protect scarce public resources rather than playing the devil's advocate against the Nigerian people.
The NGF in addition said there is a need for all parties involved to wait for the matter which is already in court to be resolved through appropriate legal processes.
He said:
“Let him (Malami) advise the contractors to wait until all appeals and litigation in court are concluded. That is the true test of observing the rule of law. There is no other way, uncomfortable as that would appear."
Moves to pay consultants $418 million for facilitating the Paris Club Refund
Meanwhile, Legit.ng previously reported that the Nigerian governors had condemned the plan by the FG to pay a judgement debt of $418 million to consultants who facilitated the Paris Club debt relief.
The governors had attacked the minister of finance, Zainab Ahmed, for issuing promissory notes in favour of judgment creditors.
According to the governors, the move by the federal government is the height of corruption and lawlessness.
In other news, state governors, who had received their own part of the Paris Club Fund were said to have delayed the disbursement of the money to the various local government areas in their states.
Recall that the FG had embarked on a probe of the funds collected by governors from the Central Bank of Nigeria.
Source: Legit.ng
