Buhari Seeks Approval for N10.06bn Refund to Kogi Few Weeks to Governorship Poll

• Buhari notes that Kogi is the remaining state yet to get a refund.
• Seeks approval of the upper chamber for the release of the fund.

A few weeks to the governorship election in Kogi State, President Muhammadu Buhari has written the Senate requesting for approval to pay Kogi State Government N10.069 billion being a refund of money spent by the state on behalf of the Federal Government.

This was contained in a letter dated 10 October 10, 2019, and read by the President of the Senate, Ahmad Ibrahim Lawan, during the plenary.

Ezrel Tabiowo, the Special Assistant to the Senate President on Media in a statement said the amount is for the settlement of inherited local debts and contractual obligations of the federal government to the state for projects executed on behalf of the federal government.

READ: Focus on Developing Reliable Data That Reflects What Is Happening, Buhari Charges PEAC

President Buhari in the letter recalled that 24 out of 25 state governments had received the approval of the National Assembly for the settlement of claims on projects executed on behalf of the federal government.

He added that the N10.069 billion is the outstanding amount due to Kogi State Government which is the only state yet to receive a refund.

READ: Buhari Promises to Carry All Nigerians Along in His Policies

Letter from the president reads: “The Distinguished Senate President would recall that, based on my request for the Resolution of the National Assembly approving the establishment of a promissory note programme and a Bond Issuance to settle inherited Local Debts and Contractual Obligations of the Federal Government, the 8th National Assembly passed Resolutions approving the Issuance of Promissory Notes to refund State Governments for projects executed on behalf of the Federal Government.

“The Resolutions of the 8th Assembly were conveyed through three different letters from the Clerk of the National Assembly as follows: Letter dated July 27, 2018, and referenced NASS/CAN/106/Vol.10/277 which approved the Issuance of Promissory Notes to 21 states.

“Letter dated January 29, 2019, and referenced NASS/CAN/106/Vol.11/004 which approved the Issuance of Promissory Notes to Delta and Taraba States; and letter dated May 23, 2019, and referenced NASS/CAN/106/Vol.11/164 which approved the Issuance of Promissory Notes to Bauchi State.”