Paris Club Refunds: FG owes us $68 million-consultants
The Lead Consultant for the recovery of over deductions from Paris and London clubs debt buy back funds, Mr Ned Nwoko, says his firm is being owed only 68million dollars not 418million dollars as being reported.
He was reacting to recent allegations and claims linked to his company’s demand for the payment of fees from the state and local governments in the country, at the weekend in Abuja.
Nwokolo, who is the Lead Consultant of Linas International, the consortium that handled the mater for the two tiers of government, frowned at the recent outbursts of the Chairman of the Nigeria Governors Forum (NGF), Gov. Kayode Fayemi of Ekiti, regarding the Paris Club refund.
” I am compelled to embark on this public engagement to debunk the litany of lies, spin and false narratives that had been dished out. This was to abuse the minds of the undiscerning public by the Chairman of NGF, Fayemi, against the payment of consultancy fees.
” The fees are legitimately earned and owed my firm for services rendered and which the states and local governments have fully been refunded. The outstanding fees owed my firm with regards to last work done for the states is approximately 68million dollars and not 418million dollars as maliciously sought to be conveyed by Fayemi and co.
” Our original claims calculated based on agreed terms was well in excess of 300million dollars. We offered huge discount on the entitlement to accept the 68million dollars,” he said.
He stressed that the money being owed to the consultants was 68 million dollars and not 418 million dollars that had been in public space.
According to him, his firm has nothing to do with 418 million dollars, saying “this must be a miscalculation.”
The Minister of Justice and Attorney General of the Federation, Abubakar Malami, had on 11th August 2022 featured at the weekly briefing organized by the Presidential Media Team, where he spoke extensively on issues surrounding the refund.
He stated that there was no basis for agitation by the NGF concerning deductions from the Paris Club refund paid to the consultants they hired.
Malami had also described the Governors’ action as parallel to crying over spilled milk.
The Governors after their deliberations at the Presidential Villa Abuja on Wednesday 19th August allegedly accused the Minister of orchestrating the deductions from their funds to settle the consultancy fees.
Nwoko, however, absolved Malami of any wrongdoing as he said the Minister was only trying to ensure that the law was obeyed.
Nwoko stated that the agreements and judgment being executed were reached before the advent of the Muhammadu Buhari led administration. (VON)
