President Muhammadu Buhari has approved the withdrawal of $1 billion from the Excess Crude Account to be used to tackle boko haram terrorism ravaging the north-east part of the country.
Recall that the use of the $1b was one of the resolutions reached at the 83rd National Executive Council (NEC) Meeting, Chaired by Vice-President Yemi Osinbajo, which held on the 14th of December 2017.
The matter was brought to the Senate by Senator Samuel Anyanwu on the 20th of December 2017 and was slated for debate the following day.
Unfortunately, the issue could not be debated the following day, as the sponsor of the motion was absent.
Notably, the lawmakers who feared the matter might no longer be brought up scoffed at the way events surrounding it unfolded, noting that the debate on the issue may never occur.
In response to this, the President of the Senate, Bukola Saraki, assured his colleagues that his party (the All Progressives Congress) would follow “due process.”
He had said: “We cannot take it when the person is not here and it is a very important motion that needs to be delivered very well. It cannot be delegated. We would take it. I assure you that we would take it.
“Our party does not do things like that we would not spend money that does not follow due process I am assuring you that the money would not be spent until we come back and debate it.”
However, the Minister of Defence, Mansur Dan-Ali, while briefing State House correspondents on the 4th of April 2018, announced the approval of the sum to be withdrawn by Buhari.
He said: “Of recent, our leader, President Muhammadu Buhari has approved the purchase of more equipment for the military, worth $1 billion.”
This means that the President of the country has gone ahead to approve funds without appropriation from the Senate, contradicting Bukola Saraki’s assurance that such would not happen.