Governors call for release of $1bn excess crude funds

State Governors have called on the Federal Government to release the sum of $1billion from the excess crude account, which is a subject of litigation between the federal and state governments, warning that on-going projects in states would be stalled if the money was not released.

Addressing state house correspondents after a meeting of the National Economic Council, the governors said though the council resolved that the case in court should proceed while avenues were explored to find amicable resolutions, the Attorney General of the Federation was directed to find ways of paying the money to the states.

Governor of Gombe State, Ibrahim Dankwambo, who led the governors of Ekiti and Ebonyi states as well as the deputy governor of Sokoto state to the briefing, noted that the issue of the excess crude account was not a pointer to a dispute between the states and federal government but meant to resolve how such monies should be shared.