Lagos State governor Babatunde Fashola yesterday urged Nigerians to query the $20 billion reportedly missing from the federation account. He lamented that Nigerians were indifferent to the ills facing the country.
At the 2014 interdenominational service of the Lagos State chapter of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) held at the Apostolic Church Nigeria, International Convention Grounds, Ketu, Fashola declared that it was high time Nigerians raised their voice to resolve the issue in the interest of the country.
Fashola noted that ever since the issue of the missing money became public knowledge, Nigerians have not been paying attention, urging the citizenry to pay attention to goings on in the country in a peaceful way and manner.
He said the number of new roads, hospitals and cancer centres that could be built from the huge funds for the benefit of Nigerians was better imagined.
“I think the question of poverty and underdevelopment requires us to focus less on ethnic divides and religion and more on economic issues, public accounting challenges that we are seeing and how impactful the $20billion or $10billion can be in our lives if they are properly utilised and accounted for in accordance with appropriation laws that are made by our representatives.
“I have urged our people to continue to listen, to participate in and to do so peacefully. The reason why we have to listen and participate is that, that accounting problem must be resolved in favour of ordinary Nigerians; because if there was over-accounting and we found out that the money has been properly spent then, we can only provide more for the people…” he said.
Earlier, the chairman of the state CAN Reverend Monsignor Bernard Okodua commended Christians from all faith for turning out en-masse for the service.
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