PDP governors slam presidency over ‘low-quality’ response to advice on national issues

The People Democratic Party (PDP) on Thursday dismissed the statement credited to the Senior Special Assistant on Media and Publicity, Garba Shehu, on their last meeting on the state of the nation.

The governors had in a communiqué issued at the end of their meeting in Uyo, Akwa Ibom State, urged the Revenue Mobilization Allocation and Fiscal Commission (RMAFC) to review revenue sharing formula with a view to making more money available to states to execute their developmental projects.

They also called for the appreciation of the Naira against the Dollar, among other recommendations.

In a statement issued on Wednesday, Shehu said the PDP governors were seeking more money “for their own profligate political ends.”

He added that an appreciated currency would benefit those spending on luxury items abroad.

However, in a statement issued by the Director-General of the PDP Governors’ Forum, Cyril Maduabum, the governors said the advice they gave to the Federal Government was in the best interest of the country.

The statement read: “Our attention has been drawn to a poorly worded and pedestrian statement issued by Alhaji Garba Shehu on behalf of Mr. President in response to the patriotic and weighty issues of state raised by the PDP Governors’ Forum (PDP-GF) in their communiqué after the meeting.

“The statement betrays the abysmal ignorance, lack of appreciation of the issues raised in the PDP communiqué. It is unbelievable that such a low-quality response could come from Nigeria’s seat of power.

READ ALSO: Presidency slams PDP governors for offering no solutions to Nigeria’s challenges

“He celebrates the non-remittance of funds by the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) to the Federation Account because they should not ‘break the bank’ for PDP Governors. What a pity!

“The duty and responsibility of NNPC to pay revenues into the Federation Account is not a matter of discretion by NNPC. It is an imposition of law.

“The constitutional provisions on public revenue are clear. Section 162. (1) of the Constitution says, ‘The Federation shall maintain a special account to be called the Federation Account into which shall be paid all revenues collected by the Government of the Federation, except the proceeds from the personal income tax of the personnel of the Armed Forces of the Federation, the Nigeria Police Force, the Ministry or Department of Government charged with responsibility for Foreign Affairs and the residents of the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja.

“It is a demonstration of impunity and gross abuse of the law for NNPC to continue to disregard the unmistakable mandatory constitutional provisions above. It is even more shocking for the Presidency as an institution to embody the desecration of our constitution in such a flippant, brazen and unserious manner as portrayed by the presidential spokesman.”

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