N60b: Obaseki Says FG Playing The Ostrich; End Fiscal Rascality, He Urges |The Source

By Akinwale Kasali

Edo State Governor, Godwin Obaseki has brushed aside the Federal Government’s denial that it did not print the sum of N60 billion to support State Allocation for the month of March,  2021.

Obaseki’s revelation, which shook the nation, and exposed how bad the economy is, was made when he spoke to the Edo State Transition Committee at the weekend.

He had said; “When we got FAAC for March, the Federal Government printed additional N50 -N60 billion for us to top-up to share.”

But on Wednesday, after the Federal Executive Council meeting presided over by Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, the Minister for Finance, Budget and National Planning, Zainab Ahmed, had dismissed Governor Obaseki’s statement as untrue. She said no such money was printed, and insisted the money came from the FG’s generated revenue.

However, Governor Obaseki, brushed the denial aside, and stood by his submission  that money was printed. Accusing the FG of playing the ostrich in a post on his official twitter handle, he advised, while saying he would not join issues with anybody,  that the FG ends financial recklessness.

Obaseki: “We believe it is our duty to offer useful advice for the benefit of our country

“The Minister of Finance, Budget and National Planning, @ZShamsuna should rally Nigerians to stem the obvious fiscal slide facing our country.

“Rather than play the ostrich, we urge the government to take urgent steps to end the current monetary rascality so as to prevent the prevailing economic challenge from degenerating further.

“We believe it is imperative to approach the Nigerian project with all sense of responsibility and commitment and not play to the gallery because ultimately time shall be the judge of us all.”

Obaseki was in the financial sector before he joined politics, and is not likely to be ignorant of the financial state of the Nation.