The Governor of Ekiti State, Ayodele Fayose, has filed a suit challenging the authority of the governors of the federation under the aegis of the Nigerian Governors’ Forum to approve $1 billion for the fight against insurgency.
The money is to be withdrawn by the federal government from the nation’s excess crude oil account.
He had earlier expressed his opposition to the approval saying that the money would be used to carry out the second term campaign of President Muhammadu Buhari in 2019.
He said if other governors had approved of it, he would want his state’s share of the money to enable him tackle the problem of hunger in Ekiti State.
According to him, there was “Hunger Haram” and he would need his state’s share to fight it.
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Fayose who spoke with reporters on Tuesday said: “I’m not in support of $1 billion and will never be in support of it. In my state, we have agreed to go to court to contest this. It is our legitimate right, all accruals to the federation must be shared by the three tiers of government and for me to get justice I have to go to court.”
“I filed the case in court as early as 12 noon today. I have options and I have said it expressly, I have gone to court… I have taken appropriate steps because the money belongs to Ekiti people not to any other use.
“I did not attend the meeting where the issue was discussed, even if I was part of the meeting I would have made it expressly clear that I will not support it. Every state has its own peculiarities in terms of security. Ekiti state has Hunger Haram… hunger is everywhere. Whatever is in that money, for me we should share it, let everybody go and solve his own problem. I have challenges and they should give me my money. It is Ekiti money.”
