A former Vice President for Africa of the World Bank and two time minister in the regime of former President Olusegun Obasanjo, Dr. Oby Ezekwesili, has challenged the government of President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan to a public debate on the allegations she made that the administration and that of late President Umaru Yar’Adua squandered the country’s $67 billion.
Reacting to Sunday’s statement by the Minister of Information, Labaran Maku, that her (Ezekwesili’s) knowledge of government’s finances were inaccurate, the former minister said that she was ready for a debate that will take into consideration all the figures she reeled out and those made available by the government.
Ezekwesili had on Thursday at the convocation lecture of the University of Nigeria Nsukka, alleged that the Yar’Adua and Jonathan administrations wasted $67 billion saved by the Obasanjo regime.
On Sunday, Maku said the figures provided by Ezekwesili were faulty, questioning her motive for the position taken.
However, reacting to Maku’s position through her page on social network site, Facebook, Ezekwesili challenged the government to a debate on the issue.
She said on her Facebook page, though the posting was earlier done via her Twitter page: “Nothing but accountability.
“I challenge them to a public debate of facts regarding 2007 ECA & F Reserve and last five and a half years oil revenue.”
In an earlier posting via the same medium, Ezekwesili said: “Let Mr. Maku go further.
“As a CITIZEN all I want to KNOW is the Mathematics of the ECA and the Foreign Reserve.”
As at press time, the government was yet to respond to the challenge posed by Ezekwesisli.
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