1 billion dollars Boko Haram fund won’t be spent without Senate consideration - Saraki

- The Senate president says the proposed withdrawal of $1billion from the Excess Crude Account will not be spent until senate approval

- The senators had reacted when they learnt that issue of the fund will be discussed in 2018

- The Senate president however doused the fear while giving them assurance that the funds would not be spent without Senate consideration

Bukola Saraki, the Nigerian Senate president has on Thursday, December 21 assured senators that the $1billion withdrawal from the Excess Crude Account (ECA) will not be spent until the processes involved is considered by the national assembly.

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Saraki gave this assurance after Ike Ekweremadu, the deputy Senate president called the attention of the Red Chamber after arguing that the motion was not on the items to be considered on Thursday.

“Senator Anyanwu came up with the issue of one billion dollars released by the governors’ forum on the fight against insurgency; and under our rule this matter is to come up today for our consideration. I have looked through the order paper and it is not there, I just want to seek explanation,” Ekweremadu said.

Responding to the point raised by Ekweremadu, Saraki said Mr Anyanwu had sought more time to present the motion and would present it on the next legislative day.

The announcement caused rowdiness, mostly from PDP Senators, as the next legislative day will unavoidably be in 2018, Premium Times reports.

The PDP senators raised the fear that the money would have been withdrawn and spent before it would be slated for consideration by the Senate.

In dowsing the tension, the Senate president assured that the funds would not be spent without Senate consideration.

“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. Leader, I hope you heard the commitment I made on behalf of all of us.”

In his reaction, the Senate Llader, Ahmed Lawan, agreed with Saraki that the promise will be kept.

“Mr president I have heard you very well and it is a promise we would keep,” he replied.

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Meanwhile NAIJ.com had reported that Governor Seriake Dickson of Bayelsa state replied Governor Ayodele Fayose and others making a ruckus over the $billion approved to fight insecurity.

He said the decision by the president was taken in good faith. Dickson who belongs to the same Peoples Democratic Party like Governor Ayodele Fayose, who challenged the move in court, explained why the Governors’ Forum decided to grant Federal Government permission to utilize one billion dollars from the Excess Crude Account for security.

Nigerian Air Force operations against Boko Haram on NAIJ.com TV:

Source: Naija.ng