The Nigeria Governors’ Forum, (NGF), has criticised the Attorney-General of the Federation (AGF) and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami, for allegedly misleading President Muhammadu Buhari in the case of the $418 million Paris Fund deductions being claimed by a group of consultants.
The Governors’ position was re-echoed yesterday by Chairman of Forum, Governor Kayode Fayemi of Ekiti State, while speaking during a television programme.
According to hin, it is difficult for any rational mind to justify the haste and illogic upon which the AGFs utterances and actions are based on the controversial issue.
The Governor accused Malami of defending a group of people he described as dubious. He said that he expected the AGF to be on the side of Government and Nigerian citizens, instead of advocating for the hasty transfer of public funds into private coffers.
Fayemi also questioned the haste with which the Federal Government acted in the approval of the said amount to the six creditors, even when the thirty-six State governors expressed concerns over the legitimacy of the claims and claimants, ab initio.
The governor said the Presidency and the Office of the Attorney-General of the Federation acted against all known rules of financial responsibility in the transactions. This he said, shows how obviously bias they are on the controversial issue that bothers on public interest.
The Governors wondered why he, a public officer, was so eager to ensure that public funds are transferred to private individuals even when the alleged debt was a matter before a court.
The said amount is allegedly owed the “Consultants and contractors for services rendered during negotiations for the refund”.
