Dickson Accused FG Of N450bn Illegal Deductions For 13 Years

The Bayelsa State Governor, Seriake Dickson, has accused the Federal Government of illagal deduction of N450bn over the period of 13 years.

The governor spoke through his Commissioner for Finance, Maxwell Ebibai On Tuesday.

Ebibai noted that the deduction was claimed under the guise of the four percent deduction for fuel subsidy. Adding that, the deductions were illegal because they were carried out without the approval of Council of States.

He berated the Federal Government for spending money from the Excess Crude Oil Account meant for the ‘rainy day’

The statement reads in part “It is important that we highlight that, for a long time, under the pretext that we are saving for a rainy day, the Federal Government used money in the Excess Crude Account for activities such as petroleum subsidy, arms purchase and others.

“By recent calculations, from the 13 per cent derivation money that has passed through the Excess Crude Account, the people of Bayelsa have not enjoyed the benefits amounting to about N450bn. That is what, in the name of one nation, we are subsiding.

“This does not affect Bayelsa alone, but almost all the oil-producing states. We have been on this engagement and have some positive results in August. The issue of backlogs is going to be handled as a nation because the money taken from the account is humongous.”

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