Chairman, Linas International, Ned Nwoko, has said except for Delta, Bauchi, Benue, Kwara, and Ondo States’ governors, other States, including the FCT, have defaulted in reverting $3.1 billion Paris/London Club Refunds to local government areas.
Nwoko, who petitioned the Code of Conduct Bureau (CCB) called for an investigation of 30 state governors including the Federal Capital Territory for allegedly failing to remit $3.1 billion paid to their local government. The refunds to local governments in dispute were reportedly paid to and received by the State governments, acting through their umbrella body, the Nigerian Governors Forum (NGF), which interfaced with the Ministry of Finance throughout the refund exercise.
In the complaint to the CCB chairman, Nwoko’s company said the factual basis for this complaint arises from the judgment between Linas International Limited, Local Governments of Nigeria, and the Association of Local Governments Nigeria (ALGON) against the Federal Government of Nigeria as well as the NGF.
The petition lamented the recent attempt to set aside the above seven-year-old judgment, which has been fully enforced by the federal government through the Federal Ministry of Finance concerning refunds to Local Governments.
It further said it has engaged with the office of the Minister of Finance on the allegation, however, all these actions and applications by the state governors through NGF are geared towards deflecting attention from the allegations of the local governments which is that the monies meant for them and paid through their state governments have not been appropriately remitted.
The letter said the fact that these State governors have failed, or refused to, respond to the letters of the Minister of Finance requesting accountability was very disturbing and worrisome, and therefore, contrary to the code of conduct of public officeholders of Nigeria.
