Excess Crude account stands at $3.5bn, says Okonjo-Iweala

Nigeria’s National Economic Council, NEC on Thursday asked the Federal Government to separate the Excess Crude Accounts from the Sure-P account to facilitate easy accountability.

The Council, which was meeting for the first time in six months said it was worried at the litigation filed against the ECA and therefore want the cases to be resolved quickly so that the funds in the account can be appropriately utilised.

Governor Godswill Akpabio who briefed journalists after the meeting presided over by Vice President Namadi Sambo said the decision followed a briefing by the Minister of Finance and the coordinating Minister for the Economy, Ngozi Okonjo Iweala that the excess crude account now stands at 3.5 billion dollars after the removal of the Sure-P money.

Also, NEC moved to tackle the problem of the clashes between herdsmen and farmers which have resulted into deaths of hundreds across the country in the past few months with the setting up of a technical Committee to tackle the crisis during the meeting.

Akpabio said the 10 man technical committee will come up with recommendations that can resolve the conflict between the farmers and the pastoralists.

The committee, he said, was directed to meet with all stakeholders within two weeks.

The governor of Benue state has been drafted into the committee which also comprises the Minister of Agriculture, Environment, Science and Technology, Interior, Water Resources and National Planning.

Other members include the National Security Adviser, Director General, National Orientation Agency and representatives of each state of the federation

Akpabio who said the National Security Adviser, Col. Sambo Dasuki (retd.) told the meeting that 17 states have been identified as flashpoint of current clashes between herdsmen and farmers which have left many people dead.

He also added that the NSA assured NEC members that his office was working round the clock to stem the clash between farmers and the farmers.

“The NSA reported to Council the efforts being made by his office to involve international agencies on the issues, one of which is that it will invite all stakeholders to an international conference to deliberate, adding that the agency based in Geneva, Switzerland is working out the modalities to involve communities in the affected states to find means of settling the conflicts in Plateau and that will now be used as a pilot programme across the entire country.”

The 17 states identified as flash points by the NSA as listed by Akpabio include Benue, Plateau, Adamawa, Bauchi, Niger, Nasarawa, Kwara, Kaduna and Oyo. He added that conflicts on border issues have also been reported in southern parts of the country like Edo, Akwa Ibom, and Cross Rivers, particularly in the Ogoja area.