EVEN as security agencies have started probe of ministries and parastatals under immediate past Dr. Oby Ezekwesili, the former minister has alleged that the Federal Government was evading debate on the controversial issue of the correct amount of foreign reserve left by Obasanjo's administration.
Ezekwesili expressed her disappointment in a statement she circulated in Abuja Thursday. She stated that since the Nigerian government agrees that there was leakage in the system, it was necessary for a public debate to put the matter to rest.
Her words: "Well, since they are finally admitting "Fiscal Leakages", perhaps with a debate we can all learn more. The Governor of Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Sanusi Lamido Sanusi, more than anyone knows that my speech stated that the foreign reserve was $45 billion and not the "$67 billion foreign reserve" they have been quoting to paint the picture of "false accusation" and hence manipulate and distract everyone.
"He knows that they are distorting the point of my article by using their "straw number" of $67 billion which I did not use in my speech. My speech stated $45 billion foreign reserve and $22 billion ECA and he more than anyone knows that Excess Crude Account is a sub-set of foreign reserve!
"Sanusi knows that the foreign reserve is a "composite" or "aggregate" amount of ALL official foreign exchange belonging to a country. So, I wonder why they are seeking to confuse the point for citizens?
He knows that I separated the ECA amount in that speech deliberately to make a separate point on the terrible fiscal choices of expenditure that wrecked what was supposed to be "savings for rainy days".
The Guardian