APC accuses Jonathan of dispensing ecological fund to cronies

The All Progressives Congress has accused President Goodluck Jonathan of using the Ecological Fund, set up to address the country's serious ecological problems, as a tool to further divide the ranks of the nation's governors and solidify his reputation as a partisan and sectional leader. In a statement on Wednesday by its Interim National Publicity Secretary, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, the party said Jonathan's decision to grant N2bn each to 17 states, none of which belongs to the main opposition APC and all of which are controlled by governors deemed to be Jonathan's supporters, underscored his profile as a sectional leader.

It wondered what kind of coincidence would exclude all the APC-controlled states from being considered of receiving assistance from the Ecological Fund, 'when we have it on good authority that our governors even sought such assistance'.

The party added, 'The N2bn assistance was given to Abia, Anambra, Bauchi, Bayelsa, Benue, Cross River, Gombe, Kaduna, Katsina, Kebbi, Kogi, Ondo, Plateau, Ebonyi, Delta, Enugu and Taraba states.

'Before then, N5bn had been given to Akwa Ibom State, ostensibly for 'urgent matters' while N8bn was given toAnambra for the 'maintenance of the Niger bridge', in reality perhaps a slush fund for the stolen governorshipelection in the state.

'To the best of our knowledge, even if N8bn is not enough to construct a second Niger bridge, it will go a long way.

We are yet to see any maintenance to justify such a huge fund that was given for that purpose, further confirming our fears on what the real purpose of that money might have been.

'It is sad that a President, whose divisive politics helped to break the ranks of the nation's state governors has now graduated to using funds from the Federation Account to dispense favours to governors he perceives to be his cronies.'