The Nigeria Governors’ Forum (NGF) has accused the Attorney General of the Federation (AGF) and Minister of Justice, Mr. Abubakar Malami (SAN) of failing to protect the interests of the states and local governments.

The governors particularly accused the Justice Minister of siding with contractors/consultants in the bid to deduct $418 million from the Federation Account.

A Federal High Court in Abuja had last Friday halted the plan by the Federal Government to deduct $418 million from the bank accounts of the 36 states of the federation.

On his part, Malami said that the deductions were in furtherance of Federal Government’s efforts at offsetting the debt incurred by states and local governments in the country.

However, NGF, in a statement issued by its Head, Media and Public Affairs, Abdulrazaque Bello-Barkindo, on Monday, detailed how huge sums have been paid to contractors/consultants for doing nothing.

The governors stated that the deduction is not only unlawful but against public policy and morality.

The governors said: “The attention of the NGF has been drawn to a statement issued by the media aide to the Attorney General of the Federation (AGF), Umar Gwandu, on Friday 5th November 2021 in support of deductions of humongous state resources amounting to $418 million from the Federation Account.

“The payments are made in favour of private contractors and/or consultants for alleged work done in relation to the Paris Club Refunds to the States and Local Governments.

“The decision by the HAGF to throw his weight behind these consultants who have been battling desperately to grab $418 million from the accounts of states and local governments raises questions of propriety and the spirit of justice.

“The HAGF is supposed to be the chief arbiter in all matters concerning Nigerians, especially the poor masses of this country. It is incumbent upon him to, not just ensure that justice is done, but that justice is seen to have been done.

“The undue haste, with which the statement was issued even before the service on the AGF of the court processes and the order dated 5th November, 2021 restraining the Federal Government, seems to suggest that there is a special relationship between the Office of the HAGF and the consultants over and above Nigerian citizens, whose interest the HAGF as the Chief Law Officer of the Federation is statutorily bound to always protect.”

The governors stated that the minister’s statement suggests that the restraining order issued last Friday not only unsettled preconceived plans and angered the unnamed ‘government officers’ referred to by the media aide.

The governors queried several payments approved by the Minister of Justice.

The NGF said: “…No diligent public officer would act on such judgements by recommending payment.

“It is even more curious that the AGF also recommended payments to some contractors allegedly based on judgments that did not make any monetary award or on claims that were struck out.

“The AGF may need to explain to Nigerians why these particular judgement debts are given unusual attention and priority and processed with supersonic speed over and above all others; some of which preceded these so-called judgements and have been pending for settlement by the AGF for several years.

“While it is convenient to say that part of these judgement debts have been paid with the release of $86,546,526.65 and N19,439,225,871.11 in 2016 and $100 million in 2018 to the contractors with the concurrence of the NGF; that does not detract from the fact that they were payments wrongly made which ought not to have been made even if they were products of consent judgements. States can still go after the contractors to recover the funds wrongly made.

“One of the strange payments made is that of $47,831,920 to Panic Alert Security Systems Ltd/George Uboh for allegedly reviewing a 16-page judgement for the then factional NGF. Can the Office of the HAGF point to any consent judgement awarding that sum to PANIC Alert? Did the NGF’s letter of 20th January, 2020 relied upon by the HAGF ever recommend the payment of any sum?

“LINAS and NED Nwoko in this scheme are walking away with $68,658,193.83 state funds allegedly for legal consultancy services. Is the AGF not aware that the work alleged to have been done by him was already contained in a FAAC Reconciliation Committee Report constituted in 2005 submitted in 2007 with recommendations on how states and LGAs should be refunded the over charges from the Paris Club Refunds.

“Dr. Ted Iseghohi-Edwards has been paid the sum of $159 million in promissory notes, yet he had his matter in Suit No FCT/HC/CV/1353/18 struck out on November 10th, 2020. Furthermore, the legal basis for his claim is rooted in SUIT NO FHC/ABJ/CS/130/13: LINAS INTERNATIONAL LTD & 235 ORS V FGN which clearly stated that he cannot benefit under the judgement because he was not a party in the case and cannot enforce the terms of the judgment.”