The Peoples Democratic Party, (PDP) Governors Forum has urged the federal government to plug financial leakages in the system and curb wasteful expenditure of billions of Naira on projects that can be executed by the private sector.
This was contained in a press statement on Saturday signed by Hon. CID Maduabum, Director General, PDP Governors Forum.
TheFact Nigeria reports that the PDP Governors Forum issued the statement in reaction to the perceived dimension the advice by Governor of Edo State, Mr. Godwin Obaseki to the Federal Government on the recently alleged printing of the Naira for government expenditure had taken.
The PDP Governors said that by plugging financial leakages, government would save a lot of money in the process thereby relying less on Ways and Means by the CBN which brings pressure on the Naira with its inflationary consequences.
According to the PDP Governors, inflation in Nigeria currently stands at 18.2%, the highest in recent years, bearing the need for all to be concerned to find ways of stemming the tide.
The statement read: “The PDP Governors Forum is alarmed at the partisan slant a patriotic advice to the federal government by His Excellency, Governor Godwin Obaseki on its monetary policies has assumed.
“It is unhelpful for the Progressives Governors Forum to join the fray in the manner it did by its recent statement attacking the bona fides of Governor Obaseki who merely warned the monetary authorities about the danger of uncontrolled use of Ways and Means, that is, the printing of Naira to support government expenditure.
“Governor Obaseki has a background in economics and finance and is a very responsible governor who talks in a measured way. His advice which by the way, has been corroborated by none other than the Governor of the CBN himself and the international rating agency, FITCH should be heeded rather than being crucified for sounding a note of caution.
“No doubt, the federal government has been supporting the States in the area of agriculture, budget, refund of federal government executed projects by States and a few other areas of intervention. Is CBN trying to be vindictive and vengeful by recalling its loans to the States because of an informed advise by a Governor? It is unfortunate that governance has plummeted to this level.
“We are all involved in the urgent task of rescuing the economy of Nigeria and nobody should indeed, play the OSTRICH.”
Recall that the Federal Government did not take lightly, the claim made by the Edo State Governor, Godwin Obaseki, that N60 billion was printed as top-up for the Federation Account Allocation Committee (FAAC) in the month of March.
The Federal Government, through the Minister of Finance, Hajiya Zainab Ahmed had denied the claim as untrue, saying that, “What we distribute at FAAC is revenue that is generated by NNPC, FIRS, Customs’.
