The federal government has described as untrue and sad, the claim by Governor Godwin Obaseki of Edo State that it printed N60 billion to support allocation to states in March.
Obaseki made the claim against the federal government last Thursday in Benin during Edo State transition committee stakeholders engagement.
“Last month, we got FAAC for March.
“The Federal Government printed an additional N50 to N60 billion to top-up for us to share,” the governor was quoted as saying.
But addressing State House correspondents on Wednesday at the Presidential Villa, the Minister of Finance, Budget and National Planning, Zainab Ahmed, debunked the claim.
She described the governor’s claim as not only false, but sad.
Her words: “The issue that was raised by the Edo State Governor for me is very, very sad because it is not a fact.”
She said what was shared to the states was revenue generated and that it was public knowledge.
The minister also reacted to the gloomy picture of the country’s debt profile painted by the governor.
Said she: “What we distribute at FAAC is a revenue that is generated and in fact distribution revenue is a public information. We publish revenue generated by FIRS, the customs and the NNPC and we distribute at FAAC. So, it is not true to say we printed money to distribute at FAAC, it is not true.
“What we need to do as I have said several times is to improve our revenue to enhance our capacity to service not only our debt but to service the needs of running government on day to day basis. So our debt currently at about 23% to GDP is at a very sustainable level if you look at all the reports that you see from multilateral institutions.”
