Fmr Minister Informs Buhari -Jonathan Left $30billion in the Treasury

Dr. Abubakar Sulaiman, immediate past Minister/Deputy Chairman, National Planning Commission (NPC), on Tuesday said that former President Goodluck Jonathan didn't leave the Nigerian treasury empty.

According to VANGUARD, Sulaiman said, the former administration as at May 29 left behind $30 billion, adding that the sum would have been higher had the governors not insisted on sharing the fund.

''Government can’t tell us that there is no Excess Crude Account (ECA), Sovereign Wealth Fund (SWF) or are we saying the Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIR) and related agencies had not in the last one month been generating revenue?''

''Until they are able to prove they had no receipts from these government agencies in the last one month before Nigerians can now buy into Mr. President’s claims of an empty treasury'', Sulaiman said.

''Money made by government is meant to be spent, and this the immediate past administration did responsibly. Every government operates on deficit even in the so-called western world, including the US which today remains one of the largest debtor nations in the world.

''Is it not on record that President Obama inherited $3 trillion debt, a collapsed banking sector and mortgage industry, yet he never raised any alarm. None of these has happened in Nigeria under Jonathan.

''Under Jonathan, Nigeria became the largest Africa economy and 26th in the world amidst deadly security challenges and dwindling international prices of oil. In spite of all these, the Federal Government never owed salary. Upon inception of Jonathan’s administration, it is on record that the price of oil at the global stage was over $100 per barrel and at the close of the administration, it dropped to $46. Yet, there wasn’t collapse of government and federal civil servants were paid as at when due.

''It will be misleading, therefore, for our respected President Muhammadu Buhari and indeed the ruling APC to claim to have met an empty treasury'', Sulaiman added.