• Friday, March 29, 2024
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Printing of N60bn: End current monetary rascality, Obaseki replies FG

Edo to hold talks with Delta over creation of Bendel Commission

What is fast becoming a forth and back between Edo State Governor Godwin Obaseki and the Federal Government continued on Thursday as the governor urged the FG to stop the act of deliberately ignoring the prevailing economic challenges in the country and take urgent steps to end the current financial rascality.

Obaseki, in a tweet via his official Twitter handle @GovernorObaseki titled “Our advice is that we stop playing the ostrich”, noted that he is not joining issues with the Federal Ministry of Finance but was only offering useful advice for the benefit of Nigeria.

The governor had recently expressed worry over the country’s penchant for borrowing, noting that the debt profile could rise to N16 trillion by the end of 2021.

He also claimed that the Federal Government printed additional N50 billion-N60 billion to top up the Federal Accounts Allocation Committee (FAAC) for states to share.

Zainab Ahmed, minister of finance, budget and national planning, on Wednesday, however, said it was untrue that the FG printed N60 billion in March to support federal allocations to states.

Read Also: Nigerian economy: We are in huge financial trouble – Obaseki

But responding via a tweet on Thursday, Obaseki, who stood by his claim, urged the minister of finance, budget and national planning to rally Nigerians to stem the obvious fiscal decline confronting the nation.

“We believe it is our duty to offer useful advice for the benefit of 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,” Obaseki said.

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