Edo State Governor, Comrade Adams Aliyu Eric Oshiomhole and the immediate past Minister of Finance and Cordinating Minister of the Economy, Dr Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala have engaged themselves in fierce verbal battle since May 28, 2015 over alleged inappropriate financial dealings on the part of the later, especially in respect of the monies accrued to the Excess Crude Account, ECA in the last two years. And none of the combatants is ready to shift ground. This is however understandable because something is at stake here. Integrity, honour, name etc built over the years has to be protected and jealously too in the eyes of Nigerians. Okonjo-Iweala is leaving nothing to chance, she is ready to fight with the last pint of her blood to keep the family name intact while Oshiomhole is prepared to go the extra mile to unveil the real Okonjo-Iweala before Nigerians, the international community and prove that he is not just a rabblerouser as some persons would want to tag him. Nigerians and indeed, the world is waiting to see the end of this battle of integrity.
From his vantage position as a member of the National Economic Council, NEC, Oshiomhole is insisting that the sum of $2.1 billion was illegally withdrawn from the ECA under the watch of the Minister. He says Nigerians deserve explanations from her on the withdrawal and spending. But the Former Minister has been prevaricating ever since, taking refuge under all sorts of sentiments. This has been the crux of the matter and it is what the late Afro beat legend, Fela Anikulapo-Kuti would call roforofo fight. It is proper to say here that Oshiomhole is not the primary whistle blower on the ECA. The inaugural meeting of the National Economic Council, NEC under the Buhari administration held June 29 and presided over by the Chairman, Vice President Yemi Oshibajo discovered some discrepancies in the monies accrued and withdrawals from the Excess Crude Account, ECA. In line with the administration’s avowed zero tolerance on corruption, the NEC swiftly set up a four-man committee to beam the searchlight on the seeming honey comb. Incidentally, Oshiomhole is a member of that committee and its preliminary findings have proved that indeed, the Minister owes the nation and not Oshiomhole some explanations on the management of the account. So, the minister and his hack writers should know that it is not a personal matter between their Madam and the Comrade Governor.
Unfortunately, the former Finance Minister and his sympathisers have been singing the song of political witch-hunt on the part of Buhari government and personal vendetta on the part of Oshiomhole. She specifically said Oshiomhole is out to crucify her because she denied the Edo State Government access to some loan facilities during the Jonathan administration. But this is neither here nor there because she has so far failed to address the salient issues bordering on alleged untidy financial dealings as raised by the governor. Again, unknown to the former Minister, that revelation clearly amounted to self indictment rather than earning her some measure of sympathy. For instance, would she have denied the loan if Edo where to be a PDP controlled state in that dispensation?
Aside the illegal releases and some sheddy deals involving her as alleged by Oshiomhole, the governor also revealed that the former minister denied Edo State the sum of 10 billion Naira that would have accrued to the state in the last couple of years. So, in all fairness, I think Oshiomhole has every reason to enter the ring with Okonjo-Iweala for “robbing” Edo State of that huge sums of money, using her official position. However, if the Minister is able to prove that the withdrawal from the ECA followed due process and the denial of Edo State access to the loan was done in goo fate, then she would be off the hook and keep her integrity intact. Again, that is the only way she can logically prove her case of personal vendetta and political witch-hunt. Because he who wears the shoes knows where it pinches. And for those who accused the governor of abuse of privilege a’re not just unfair to him but they are also not fair to the people of Edo State who have been denied of such huge sum of money on the basis of political differences. Being a state in the opposition party should not in any way constitute a political crime. As a member of the federal government special economic committee, no doubt gives the governor access to some privileged information that has to do with the financial transactions of the immediate past government. So, he cannot be said to be making wild allegations about the financial conducts of the former minister while in office. The only truce here is for Okonjo-Iweala to come out clean and explain to Nigerians how she managed the ECA during her tenure. Anything short of this will not earn her any breather from the Comrade Governor and indeed Nigerians.

Related News