Am not afraid of buhari probe_okonjo

Minister: Oshiomhole’s statement lacks fact and logic Outgoing Coordinating Minister for the Economy and Minister of Finance, Dr. Ngozi Okonjo- Iweala, has said that she is not afraid of probe by the new administration of Muhammadu Buhari over the running of the state’s economy. To her, only those who cannot convincingly explain how they dispensed states’ resources entrusted in their care have cause to fear. The minister stated this yesterday in a statement by her Special Adviser on Media, Paul Nwabiukwu, in response to Wednesday’s article by Edo State governor, Adams Oshiomhole, accusing her of “grossly mismanaging nation’s economy in the last four years and feeding Nigerians with half-truth.” “The most laughable part of Oshiomhole’s article is the claim that Okonjo- Iweala has been speaking out lately because of the “fear of Buhari”. Nigerians know this is ridiculous. If there is any minister whose voice has been strong on the right issues over the past four years it is Okonjo-Iweala. “Okonjo-Iweala combines a stalwart integrity, a mastery of her mandate and the courage of her convictions. She therefore has no reason to fear. Those who cannot adequately explain what they did with the resources of their states and are begging for bailout are those who should to be scared,” Nwabiukwu. In the article titled “Economy: Okonjo- Iweala’s hidden figures,” Governor Oshiomhole accused the minister of running the Excess Crude Account (ECA) in the last four years as a one-man show business, noting that Okonjo-Iweala’s recent outburst against oil marketers was to avert a possible probe by the incoming Muhammadu Buhari administration. But Okonjo-Iweala said Oshiomhole’s article was full of gaping holes, both in facts and logic. “Like previous baseless allegations by some governors, the motive behind Oshiomhole’s attack is clear: to deflect public attention away from the manner in which they have run the finances of their states and make Okonjo-Iweala the scapegoat,” she said. The minister described Oshiomhole’s claim that state governors were not properly briefed as unfounded because the status of ECA was periodically discussed at Federal Allocation Account Committee (FAAC) which had in attendance all commissioners of finance. “Governor Oshiomhole’s statement that Okonjo- Iweala “must disclose to the nation the full details of subsidy payments made to oil marketers in the last four years” is therefore astonishing given the fact that every payment made to the marketers has been published in the media and widely disseminated through all news channels. “Oshiomhole’s allegation that Okonjo-Iweala has not been transparent is ridiculous and totally lacking in merit. Apart from the monthly publication of allocations to the federal, state and local governments, the Federal Ministry of Finance under Okonjo-Iweala also publishes SURE-P receipts and distribution to different tiers, details of payments to oil marketers and other information,” the statement added. The minister accused the governor of failing to prudently manage the economy of his state well. “Has Governor Oshiomhole demonstrated the same level of openness in his management of the affairs of Edo State? Can Oshiomhole also go public with all the information showing what he has received from various sources and the uses to which he has deployed them? “How can Governor Oshiomhole claim that state governors were not properly briefed on the status of the ECA when his commissioner of finance attends all the FAAC meetings where decisions are taken and communicated to the nation?” she asked. The minister also denied involvement in an unholy alliance with oil marketers. “Oshiomhole’s allegation that the minister is involved in “an unholy alliance” with government agencies and the marketers is therefore manifestly untrue and totally irresponsible. How can a minister against whom the oil marketers have conducted a very public campaign of calumny be in league with them? A decent public official should not make such scurrilous and unsubstantiated statements,” the minister said.