LP questions Buhari’s motive on $1bn ECA fund to fight Boko Haram

The Labour Party (LP) has joined the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), governors of Ekiti and Akwa Ibom states, Ayodele Fayose and Emmanuel Udom respectively, as well as some other Nigerians to kick against approval for the release of $1 billion from the Excess Crude Account (ECA) to fight Boko Haram.

The National Economic Council (NEC) a group comprising of all state governors had recently given approval for the Federal Government to withdraw the money to fight insurgency in the North-East.

But LP, joining the league of other Nigerians opposed to the development, wondered in a statement by its national chairman, Dr Mike Omotosho, how the government would be thinking of spending such amount on the fight against Boko Haram when issues as abject poverty, hunger, among others are ravaging the country.

He said, “Take education for instance, university lecturers have been paid half salaries since December 2015 and are being owed N619billion quoting ASUU.’’

Wondering why the approval is coming at a time the Federal Government claimed that the Boko Haram has been technically defeated, Omotosho, argued that the idea was ill conceived and makes the government appear unresponsive to the cries of the masses.

“In a country that is grappling with abject poverty and hunger, the government is duty bound to use such huge sum not only for security but education and other crucial sectors that are currently begging for attention.

‘’Government’s claim of deploying such fund to security in the North East alone when million of people are losing jobs daily and civil servants are being owed salaries among other ills is antithetical to equal opportunity and social justice.

“As a party, that cares about the welfare of the people, we know the importance of winning the fight against Boko Haram insurgency in the North East because of the colossal damage and ruins it has done to our nation.

“While we appreciate the Federal Government that it has shown the willingness to prosecute the fight against insurgents with deployment of the Armed Forces, we cannot afford to keep mum on what concerns us all as a people.”

According Omotosho, LP had taken stock of reactions of ordinary Nigerians across divides and maintained that in as much as it was the duty of the government to budget fund for security, the sum of $1 billion was outrageous especially for a country that allocates a mere seven per cent to education while other African countries’ education budget are in double digits.