Senator representing Borno South and Senate Chief Whip, Ali Ndume, has commended the position of the federal government, mandating the nation oil giant, the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL), to remit its earnings from crude oil sales to the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN).
Speaking with journalists in Abuja, Senator Ndume asked President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to extend the directive to other federal government revenue earning agencies.
He said such agencies must not be allowed to keep government funds in commercial banks without proper monitoring, as such will be safer in the confers of the apex bank.
He said: “The President has now ordered that all crude oil sales money should be paid into the CBN. That is a very welcome and positive thing that he has done and he should not stop there.
“All agencies of government that are revenue generating should pay their money into the consolidated revenue account and as they present their budget, whatever expenditure they are going to incur, let them bring it before the National Assembly. That’s what the Constitution says.
“So, what they now want is to make a political issue again out of it.
“This decision that Mr. President took is the right decision, it is constitutional and it should be supported by everybody. That way, it should also apply to other agencies of government that are driving revenue. They cannot keep it.
“NIMASA should pay directly like NNPCL into the CRF. The Nigeria Ports Authority (NPA) should do the same. The Nigeria Customs Service and all other revenue agencies should pay revenues into the Consolidated Revenue Fund of the Federation and their accounts should remain with CBN because they can do banking.
“So, if they want to withdraw money, they should withdraw through the CBN. They were doing this before. Don’t go and keep people’s money in commercial banks and do transactions with it. That is it.
“I reiterate my call commending him for asking NNPCL to pay all oil revenue into the Consolidated Revenue account.”
Appraising the anti-corruption crusade of the present administration, the Senate Chief Whip urged President Tinubu to sign an Executive Order on Unexplained Wealth that will empower anti-graft agencies to go after Nigerians with questionable riches.
He said the political class must explain their sources of wealth or forfeit the same to the Government.
He said: “The next thing now, if President Tinubu wants to fight corruption, would be to sign an Executive Order on Unexplained Wealth in this country.
“Let all these people explain where they got their money, including myself. People should stop talking about trivialities or personal issues; they should talk about national issues.”
