The presidential candidate of the Allied Peoples Movement (APM) and Oyo State Governor, Seyi Makinde, has challenged the Federal Government to disclose the amounts due to state and local governments from dividend payments by the Nigeria Liquefied Natural Gas (NLNG) Limited.
Makinde made the demand on Tuesday during the APM Presidential Campaign Organisation’s South-South Town Hall Meeting in Uyo, Akwa Ibom State, where he accused the Federal Government of spending NLNG dividends paid into the Federation Account without sharing the proceeds with other tiers of government.
The governor maintained his allegation that states were being denied their entitlements, insisting that records and documents were available to support his claims. He clarified that his reference to nearly ₦250 billion per state was not about a single payment but accumulated dividend payments over the years, including under the current administration.
According to Makinde, revenue paid into the Federation Account should be distributed among the Federal, state and local governments in line with the provisions of the Nigerian Constitution.
He therefore urged the Federal Government to publish details of the NLNG dividend payments and clarify the amounts allocated to states and local governments.
Last Friday, Makinde alleged that the Federal Government had withheld ₦250 billion in NLNG dividends due to each state, claiming that the funds should have been shared among the federating units.
However, the Presidency rejected the allegation, describing it as false. Presidential spokesman Bayo Onanuga argued that NLNG had never paid $25 billion in dividends into the Federation Account in a single transaction.
Onanuga said claims suggesting that a single payment exceeded the company’s entire lifetime dividend distribution were inconsistent with the available financial figures and economic realities.
The dispute has centred on Makinde’s demand for transparency regarding NLNG dividend payments and the distribution of revenues accruing to the Federation Account among the three tiers of government.
