The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Governors Forum, has said it is impunity for the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) not to remit money to the federation account as stipulated by the constitution.

The Forum, in a statement by its Director General, CID Maduabum, stated this in response to criticism by presidential spokesman, Garba Shehu over issues raised in a communique, issued after its recent meeting in Uyo.

The opposition governors accused Shehu of cerebrating the non remittance of funds by Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) to the Federation Account because they should not “break the bank” for PDP Governors.

They noted that it is the responsibility of the NNPC to remit revenues into the Federation Account, as stipulated in the constitution.

“It is a demonstration of impunity and gross abuse of law for NNPC to continue to disregard the unmistakable mandatory constitutional provisions above.

“It is even more shocking for the Presidency as an institution to embody the desecration of our Constitution in such a flippant, brazen and unserious manner as portrayed by the presidential spokesman.

”NNPC and other Revenue generating agencies of the Federal Government have mandatory obligations to pay into the Federation Account all its revenue after deducting legitimate cost of operations. Fuel subsidy or other profligate expenditures are not part of the cost of production.

“When NNPC makes its contributions to the Federation Account, the Federal Governments share in the Federation Account can be spent by it in a manner it desires. NNPC cannot spend money belonging to the other tiers of government for them.This is the way the Constitution is designed by its authors,” The PDP Governors stated.

They added that “the States and Local Governments in Nigeria bear the brunt of education, health care, water, food production, infrastructure such as roads, and increasingly the security of lives and property among others.

”The States and Local Governments share of the Federation Account does not belong to Governors. Certainly not to PDP Governors. The case made by the PDP Governors Communique concerns all the States and Local Governments in Nigeria, not only PDP…”

TodayNG