Former Kaduna State Governor, Nasir El-Rufai, has accused President Bola Ahmed Tinubu of unlawfully deducting ₦100 billion monthly from the Federation Account without the approval of the National Assembly or state assemblies.
El-Rufai made the allegation during an interview on Prime Time, a programme on Arise Television, monitored by SpiceyGists.
According to him, the deductions have been ongoing for over 15 months, amounting to an estimated ₦1.5 trillion.
He claimed the figures were based on official government data, stressing that the deductions were unconstitutional since funds from the Federation Account belong partly to the states and must be duly appropriated by both the National Assembly and state legislatures.
READ ALSO: Hon. Mashood Mustapha Warns Against Politicisation of Ilorin Emirate, Calls for Unity
“₦100 billion goes out every month from the Federation Account without appropriation by the National Assembly, and without appropriation by the state assemblies,” El-Rufai said.
“The entire deduction and expenditure is unconstitutional. It’s an impeachable offence,” he added.
Questioning the use of the funds, El-Rufai asked why the nation’s security situation continues to deteriorate despite the massive deductions.
“So where has that ₦1.5 trillion gone? What is it being used for? Why is the security situation getting worse? Why is the government asking communities to protect themselves?” he queried.
Reflecting on campaign promises made ahead of the 2023 elections, El-Rufai expressed disappointment with the current state of affairs, stating that he never imagined the country would deteriorate to its present condition.
“If you had told me in 2022 or 2023 that things would get this bad, I would have said you were mentally ill,” he added.
