State governors under the aegis of the Nigeria Governors’ Forum (NGF) have challenged the Economic and Finance Crimes Commission (EFCC) to probe them on the alleged diversion of the N552.74 Paris Club loan refunds.

The governors threw the challenge in the wee hours of Thursday after a closed-door meeting held at the Old Banquet Hall of the Aso Rock Presidential Villa in Abuja.

President Muhammadu Buhari had on December 22, 2016 after approving the sum of N552.74bn to be paid in batches to all the 33 states owed, directed governors to use at least 25 percent of the refunds made to them from the excess deductions for external debt servicing to settle outstanding workers’ entitlements.

The refunds arose sequel to the claims by the affected states that they had been overcharged in deductions for external debt servicing between 1995 and 2002.

Investigators of the EFCC were said to have summoned the three signatories to the account of the Nigeria Governors Forum.

NGF Chairman and Zamfara State Governor Abdulaziz Yari confirmed to State House correspondents in the wee hour of today that the issue dominated their discussion at the meeting.

Yari emphasised that they were ready for the probe and were waiting for the anti-corruption agency to “come up” with the report of its investigation.

“We discussed the issue of Paris Club and London Club. We observed that the EFCC said it is doing investigations. Yeah, we support the Federal Government for fighting corruption.

“We are waiting for the EFCC to come up with what they say is the investigation and come up with the result,” Yari said. (Daily Trust)

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