Do your job well or resign - Governors tell Okonjo-Iweala

The Nigerian Governors' Forum (NGF) on Tuesday called on the Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy, Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, to resign if she would not be able to adhere strictly with the Appropriation Act 2013.

This was part of the resolutions of the Governor Rotimi Amaechi-led NGF, which met in Abuja yesterday.

States which were represented by their governors at the  meeting were those of Rivers, Niger, Kwara, Osun, Ekiti, Ogun, Adamawa, Oyo,  Lagos, Sokoto, Jigawa, Kano and Zamfara while deputy governors  of Edo, Borno and Nasarawa states represented their governors.

The governors said the non-compliance with the revenue projections of the Federal Government 2013 Budget was also a direct breach of the provisions of the Appropriation Act, 2013.

They also called for the immediate dissolution of the Economic Management Team.

Reading the communique of the meeting, Amaechi, who was flanked by other members said, 'Members expressed concern in the management of the economy by the Minister of Finance and Co-ordinating Minister of the Economy and called for a strict adherence to the Appropriation Act, 2013, failing which she should resign.

'Forum observed that the National Economic Council is constitutionally responsible for the management of the economy and should be used for that purpose as opposed to the Economic Management Team constituted by the Presidency.'

The governors also called on the National Assembly to separate the office of the Accountant-General of the Federation from that of the Accountant-General of the Federal Government for the purpose of accountability and better management of the economy.

Amaechi also announced that the governors would hold a retreat in November, but he did not state where it would hold.

The notice of meeting sent to the governors for the meeting showed that money by the Federation Account Allocation Committee topped the agenda at the meeting.

Also on the agenda was the Excess Crude Account, which had been a major disagreement between the governors and the Federal Government.

The Sovereign  Wealth Fund was also discussed.
Amaechi's opening remark, which kick-started the meeting, dwelt on fresh and subsisting litigations, state peer review mechanism and publication of inaugural speeches by the chairman.

The parallel forum is being led by the Governor of Plateau State, Mr. Jonah Janng.

Jang and those in his group were not at the meeting.