WHO AUTHORIZED alleged withdrawal of $462 million from the Consolidated Revenue Account of the federation for the purchase of helicopters from an American firm? Nigerian Senate, Tuesday, at plenary, passed a resolution demanding explanation from Nigerian Central Bank Governor Godwin Emefiele, Finance Minister Kemi Adeosun and Defence Minister Mansur Dan-Ali.
Point-Of-Order was raised by Senator Sam Anyanwu, Chairman, Senate Committee on Ethics and Privileges, that on good authority, in March 2018, $462 million was withdrawn from the Federal Account and paid to an American firm for the purchase of helicopters.
Anyanwu said: “This is without the approval of the National Assembly. I know that at no time was there any request from this Senate for any such withdrawal from the Consolidated Revenue Account of the federation. I want to find out if anything was done”.
“I will suggest we invite the CBN Governor, the Minister of Finance and the Minister of Defence to tell us how this money was withdrawn and paid into an American company without the approval of the Senate,” Anyanwu added.
Anyanwu made reference to section 80 [2 and 3] that the constitution stipulated that “no monies shall be withdrawn from the Consolidated Revenue Fund of the federal except to meet expenditure that is charged upon the fund by the constitution”.
Also that: “no monies shall be withdrawn from any public fund of the federation other than the Consolidated Revenue Fund unless the issue of those monies has been authorized by the Act of the National Assembly.”
Deputy President of the Senate, Ike Ekweremadu, who presided at the plenary, referred the matter to the Appropriation Committee. The committee is to report back on one week.
