Governor Amaechi Blames Reduction of States’ Fund Allocation on Corruption in NNPC
Governor of Rivers State, Rotimi Amaechi, has said the reduction in funds allocated to states every month is due to the alleged ongoing corruption in the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation.
The governor said this while speaking on a radio phone-in programme in Port Harcourt, stating that although oil theft was rampant in the country, it was not enough to reduce the state’s monthly allocation from N25bn to N12bn.
Amaechi said, “The fact that our oil wells in Soku have been given to Bayelsa and the one in Etche to Abia, it will naturally bring down our revenue. But beyond that is the fact the stealing is going on in NNPC.
“The President (Goodluck Jonathan) is talking about oil theft; what quantity of oil can they steal that will bring down revenue from N25 bn to N12bn? So, the stealing is more in NNPC.
“Oil theft is a different thing and the stealing going on in NNPC is a different thing. Corruption in NNPC is undermining the revenue the states are getting. Our corruption index has gone down by nine points.
“So, all the gains we made under Obasanjo have disappeared. We are now known as one of the worst corrupt countries in the world.”
He stated that the Rivers State government was not severely affected by the reduction and that a back-up plan in form of the state’s monthly savings was available to pay workers’ salaries.
“Rivers State is not broke. Even if we are broke, we have savings and I can break into the savings and collect money from there. You should not forget the fact that the savings are mine in the sense that no other person has access to it. So, I can go back to the savings if I am broke.”
He continued:“The problem we have is that the Federal Government, out of outright stealing from NNPC, is not able to pay to the states the required funds the states are entitled to, to enable them not only to pay salaries, but to run state affairs. We are going back to the Shagari days when they owe everybody.
“The only reason we have not gotten there is because the governors are very ingenious; they are doing everything to ensure they can pay salaries, but some states cannot pay. Wait, election is coming and the opposition will begin to publish their name.”
He also talked about a recent Forbes report rating Jonathan as the sixth richest president in Africa, saying he believed the report as it was not a gossip piece.
“This magazine, Forbes, rated our President as the sixth richest President in Africa and he is denying it. Forbes is not a gossip magazine; it is what they see that they present to the public.
“This is the first time someone is denying his ranking in the magazine. People are saying I am abusing the President, I have never abused him. The only thing is that I state the facts the way they are. Forbes published that our President is the sixth richest African President, it is not Amaechi.”
