The Nigeria Governors’ Forum has accused the Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami of unwholesome involvement in the controversial request for the deduction of the sum of $418 million from the accounts of states and local governments as payments to consultants for their work on the Paris Club Refunds.

The governors’ accusation is contained in a statement signed by the Head of Media and Public Affairs of Nigeria Governors’ Forum, Abdulrazaque Bello-Barkindo.

A Federal High Court had in Abuja last Friday stopped the federal government from deducting $418 million from the bank accounts of the 36 states of the federation.

According to the NGF spokesman, the decision of the AGF to throw its weight behind the consultants who had been battling desperately to grab $418 million from the accounts of states and local governments, raised questions of propriety and spirit of justice.

The statement read: “The attention of the Nigeria Governors’ Forum, NGF, has been drawn to a statement issued by the media aide to the Attorney General of the Federation, AGF, Umar Gwandu, on Friday, November 5, 2021, published in a national daily of same date in support of deductions of humongous state resources amounting to $418 million from the Federation Account.

“The payments are made in favour of private contractors and/or consultants for alleged work done to the Paris Club Refunds to the states and local governments. Since the Attorney General of the Federation has not contradicted his aide, it is, therefore, deemed that the statement was issued with his authorization and consent.

“We need to state quickly that when we first read this press release, we had to double-check to be sure it was not authored by a lawyer representing either one or all the promissory notes recipients.

“The AGF is supposed to be the chief arbiter in all matters concerning Nigerians, especially the poor masses of this country. It is incumbent upon him to, not just ensure that justice is done, but that justice is seen to have been done.

“The undue haste, with which the statement was issued even before the service on the AGF of the court processes and the order dated November 5, 2021, restraining the Federal Government, seems to suggest that there is a special relationship between the Office of the AGF and the consultants over and above Nigerian citizens, whose interest the AGF as the chief law officer of the federation is statutorily bound to always protect.

“The statement also suggests that the restraining order issued last Friday not only unsettled preconceived plans and angered the unnamed ‘government officers’ referred to by the media aide.”