By Sanni Onogu, Abuja
The Senate has directed the Accountant General of the Federation, Ahmed Idris, to produce details on a lawyer who was allegedly paid $4 million from the depleted Excess Crude Account (ECA).
The Accountant General appeared before the Solomon Adeola-led Committee on Finance to explain Federal Government’s achievement on the revenue projection for 2020.
He was also expected to give reasons for the depletion of the ECA.
Idris said the country currently has $71.8 million in the ECA, from $2.2 billion, which President Muhammadu Buhari’s administration inherited from President Goodluck Jonathan’s administration in 2015.
The AGF said the balance in the ECA rose to $2.6 billion in 2016 and reduced to $2.4 billion in 2017.
He added that the money was further depleted in 2018 to $631.4 million; $324.9 million in 2019 and has dropped to $71.8 million.
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Idris said $254 million was paid out this year from the $324.96 million balance carried over from 2019.
The AGF explained that $250 million was invested in the Nigeria Sovereign Investment Authority while a lawyer got $4 million.
Idris drew the committee’s anger when he failed to supply details of the lawyer who was paid $4 million as professional fee.
Adeola directed the AGF to furnish the committee with details of the beneficiary and what he did to qualify for such fee.
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