The Senior Special Assistant to the President on Public Affairs, Dr. Doyin Okupe, has debunked insinuations making the rounds in the social media, particularly facebook, that government officials in the country enrich themselves with N11.772 trillion annually.
His reaction was against the backdrop of claims by Femi Falana (SAN) who alleged on Channels TV, and broadcast on social media that the amount is the surplus money from crude oil annually, after the 2012 annual budget has been funded from the total earning.
According to Falana “Nigeria currently produces 2.5 million barrels of crude oil per day and that at the rate of $113 per barrel, the country makes daily sales of $282.5 billion per day, $8.475 billion per month and $101.7 billion per annum.
He identified the naira equivalent of the said annual sales at
N16.272 trillion per year, adding that when the nation’s budget for 2012, which stands at N4.5 trillion is deducted from the amount, the balance would be N11.772 trillion.
The Senior Special Assistant to the President on Public Affairs, Dr.
Doyin Okupe, however called the allegation scandalous, inciting and a fallacy, explaining that the federation account is shared between the Federal government, the state government, the local government and ecological fund and national fund.
“This are really really very scandalous and very inciting information that are unwholesomely untrue.
“Let me tell you what the facts are. Let us assume that we actually have N16.272 trillion a year, what the person did not say is that revenue from crude oil is shared between Nigeria and the oil producers at the ratio of 60 to 40 percent.
“When you now give 60 percent of N16 trillion, you will be left with a figure like N9.7 trillion. That N9.7 trillion, if we use the figure (on social media), is what accrues to the federation account. The federation account is further shared between the Federal government, the state government, the local government and ecological fund and national fund.
“Invariably, the Federal government only collects 48.5 percent, which comes to about N4.7 trillion. So, it is misinformation and it is served to the public unnecessarily.
“I want to use this medium to correct this fallacy. It is not true and it is not correct. I want to also say that my office will be willing at any time that when people have information like this, they should clarify. In a very short while, we are going to have call centres. We will give you certain numbers you can call and we will reply to you”, he said.
Dr. Okupe also had course to dispel rumours that the third mainland bridge will soon collapse
He, nonetheless, assured Nigerians, as well as Lagos residents that there is no atom of truth to the claim that the Third Mainland Bridge is about to collapse, as such there is noting cause for to entertain any fear over the bridge.
He explained that the Federal Government has already released N400m out of the approved N1.3 billion contract for the repair of the bridge.