REVEALED: "NLNG Funds Not Remitted Under Jonathan" - Adams Oshiomhole

Truth be told, for many Nigerians the first time they ever heard that NLNG paid money into Nigeria's national account is during this Muhammadu Buhari government. So, what's been happening before?

Edo State Governor, Adams Oshiomhole has revealed Goodluck Jonathan administration illegally refused to transfer funds remitted to it by Nigerian Liquified Natural Gas (NLNG) into the federation account.

Noting that the remitted NLNG funds were not been transferred to the federation account, Oshiomhole said:

"For example, all the noise that have been generated over what happened last week, there was nothing extraordinary. 

"What was extraordinary is that the NLNG has over the years been remitting funds to the federal government. But the federal government illegally refused to transfer these funds to the consolidated revenue fund which belongs to the three tiers of government."

According to him, with the renewed transparency being returned to the system by President Buhari, Edo State would have gotten N10 billion consecutively in four years of the Jonathan administration.

The governor who spoke to journalists after meeting with President Buhari at the presidential villa, regretted that his state lost N10billion under Jonathan and ex-finance minister, Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala.

He said Nigerians have always been happy with Buhari because he had been very clear from day one on his campaign promises "about putting an end to impunity and fragrant disobedience of law and order".

Oshiomhole explained that the NLNG was not just starting to remit, as it had been doing that every year plus taxes paid by Shell, amounting to about $500 million.

He said the $500 million added to the amount of $1.6 billion from NLNG was what totalled to the amount of $2.1 billion that was shared last week.

"All that President Buhari has done is in line with his commitments to ensuring that all funds and monies accruing to the federation account are so remitted. He has directed the CBN to transfer the funds to the consolidated account.

"Our commissioners along with federal officials met last week to share those funds in line with the revenue allocation formula. If this money had come under the last president, it will have gone the same way as in previous years."

He continued:

"The truth is that so much was not paid to the federation account and that explains the huge gap. That was why in some of my statements, I said it is not just question of drop in price but it is also the denial of a lot of revenue that ought to have accrued into the federation account. So, no state has gotten a dime from what we called bail out or Excess Crude Account".