Oyo State Governor Seyi Makinde has challenged the Federal Government to disclose the amounts due to state and local governments from Nigeria LNG (NLNG) dividend payments, renewing his allegation that the funds have been withheld.
Makinde, who is the presidential candidate of the Allied Peoples Movement (APM), made the demand on Tuesday during the party’s Presidential Campaign Organisation South-South town hall meeting in Uyo, Akwa Ibom State.
He accused the Federal Government of spending NLNG dividends paid into the Federation Account without properly sharing the funds among the three tiers of government.
“I said the Federal Government has withheld almost ₦250bn due to each state from Nigeria LNG dividend payments. Rather than come out and tell us what has been happening to dividends paid by Nigeria LNG, they said, ‘No, Governor Makinde, you be careful. You should not say things that are not true,’” he said.
Makinde insisted that he stood by his allegation, adding that records and documents were available to support his position. He clarified that he was not referring to a single payment but to dividends paid over several years, including during the current administration.
“I did not say it was a one-off payment that is due to the states. They should listen and listen very carefully. What I said is that, over the years, including during this administration, the Federal Government has been spending alone the dividends paid by Nigeria LNG into the Federation Account,” he said.
He argued that revenue paid into the Federation Account should be distributed among the Federal Government, state governments and local governments in line with the Constitution.
“Anything that goes into the Federation Account, according to our Constitution, should be shared between the Federal Government, state governments and local governments. Let them provide the amounts meant for the states and local governments in Nigeria,” Makinde added.
The governor had previously alleged last Friday that the Federal Government was withholding ₦250 billion in NLNG dividends for each state, claiming that every state was entitled to that amount.
However, the Presidency rejected his allegation, describing it as false.
Presidential spokesman Bayo Onanuga argued that NLNG had never paid $25 billion in dividends into the Federation Account in a single transaction.
“NLNG has never paid $25 billion in dividends to the Federation Account in a single payout,” Onanuga said.
He added that the claim that a single payment exceeded the company’s entire lifetime dividend distribution was inconsistent with basic economic reality.
