…As Diezani in trouble again, over withdrawal of $1.3b from NNPC accounts***

Ekiti State Governor, Ayodele Fayose, has ordered Fulani herdsmen to register with N5,000 in their host communities for identity and location.

He also told Serikin Fulani in the state, Muhammed Abashe, that he will be held responsible for any further attack in the state.

The governor, who was furious about the recent killing of a Tiv woman in Orin Ekiti by people suspected to be Fulani herders, said Abashe had failed in providing leadership by not stopping his kinsmen from destroying farms.

The governor also condemned the herdsmen attacks on residents “at the slightest provocation.”

Fayose said this at separate peace meetings held on Friday and Saturday nights with Fulani herdsmen under the aegis of Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association of Nigeria, farmers, local hunters, security agencies and representatives of the Tiv community in Ado Ekiti.

He said, “If you (Fulani herders) still want to stay among us, you must accept the responsibility to ensure that none of our peoples’ farms is destroyed by herdsmen any longer.

“None of our people must be killed by your men, either they are strangers or those herdsmen living among us.

“If any killing or destruction of farms of our people occurs again in that area, I will ensure that I use the law to fight you their leader on it. This is the last warning I am giving you,” he warned.

The governor said the activities of the Fulani herders had continued to stain the names of President Muhammadu Buhari and other notable Fulani leaders in the country.

Henceforth, he said, Fulani herders must register with N5,000 in their host communities for identity and location.

In the meantime, there seems to be no end to the alleged mind-boggling financial misappropriation in the former President Goodluck Jonathan administration.

In the centre of it all is, according to records unearthed by investigators, former Minister of Petroleum Resources Mrs. Diezani Alison-Madueke.

Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) detectives have just uncovered the withdrawal of $1.3billion from the accounts of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), ostensibly to fight kidnapping and other security threats in the Niger Delta.

The withdrawal was neither authorised by the National Assembly nor the Federal Executive Council (FEC).

The former Coordinating Minister for the Economy and Minister of Finance, Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, is also believed to be unaware of the deductions from the NNPC accounts.

The ex-Minister only relied on a memo from ex-President Goodluck Jonathan without recourse to the board of the NNPC.

A former Group Executive Director, Finance and Accounts of NNPC, Mr. Bernard Otti, has been quizzed by Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) detectives.

Otti is said to have also made available to the EFCC some documents, including approvals to withdraw the $1.3billion by Mrs Alison-Madueke.

In two other instances, Jonathan wrote on two other requests mandating the former minister to take part of the cash from either NNPC Security Vote Account or from the “Gas Fund”.

According to sources, EFCC operatives were almost closing up the probe of the ex-Minister when the withdrawal of the $1.3billion was uncovered.

About $1.4billion was requested by the Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA) via three memos, for “Intervention for Urgent National Security Projects.”

About $1.3billion was released from NNPC accounts but it was unclear what became of the $100million balance as at press time.

ONSA had requested for $1.4billion between March 27, 2014 and May 5, 2014 when approval was given and cash backed.

About three memos were sent to ex-President Jonathan on March 27, 2014, 31st March 2014 and May 5, 2014.

In the first memo, of March 27th, 2014, the former National Security Adviser, Mr. Sambo Dasuki, requested for $1billion to fight kidnapping, crude oil theft and petroleum pipeline vandalism.

The memo to Jonathan, which was titled “Request for intervention for urgent National Security Projects”, said: “Your Excellency, apart from the insurgency in the Northeast, the country is also contending with some other security challenges, such as crude oil theft, sea piracy, kidnapping as well as petroleum pipeline vandalism.

Citizen with additional report from Nation