‘President is wrong, Jonathan left $30bn,’ Ex-Minister says

monjola sotubo

June 24, 2015 2:01 PM

Suleiman stated further, via a statement released on Tuesday, June 23, 2015, that Jonathan’s administration left behind $30 billion, as at May 29, when he handed over to Buhari.

President Muhammadu Buhari

The former Minister/Deputy Chairman of the National Planning Commission (NPC), Abubakar Suleiman has questioned President Muhammadu Buhari’s claim that he inherited an empty treasury from the Goodluck Jonathan administration.

He also warned that the former president must not be criminalized and painted a plunderer and looter of the nation’s treasury before the generality of Nigerians.

The statement reads:

“Government can’t tell us that there is no Excess Crude Account (ECA), Sovereign Wealth Fund (SWF) or are we saying the Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIR) and related agencies had not in the last one month been generating revenue?”

“Until they are able to prove they had no receipts from these government agencies in the last one month before Nigerians can now buy into Mr. President’s claims of an empty treasury.”

“Money made by government is meant to be spent, and this the immediate past administration did responsibly. Every government operates on deficit even in the so-called western world, including the US which today remains one of the largest debtor nations in the world.”

“Is it not on record that President Obama inherited $3 trillion debt, a collapsed banking sector and mortgage industry, yet he never raised any alarm. None of these has happened in Nigeria under Jonathan.”

“Under Jonathan, Nigeria became the largest Africa economy and 26th in the world amidst deadly security challenges and dwindling international prices of oil. In spite of all these, the Federal Government never owed salary.”

“Upon inception of Jonathan’s administration, it is on record that the price of oil at the global stage was over $100 per barrel and at the close of the administration, it dropped to $46. Yet, there wasn’t collapse of government and federal civil servants were paid as at when due. It will be misleading, therefore, for our respected President Muhammadu Buhari and indeed the ruling APC to claim to have met an empty treasury.”

“We are not in doubt of the capability of Mr. President to do it. He should, therefore, get to business, put in place structures and personnel to redeem the pledges made to Nigerians.”

Buhari had lamented the state of Nigeria’s economy on Monday, June 22, upon resumption at the presidential office in Aso Rock.

monjola sotubo