By Abiodun Folarin, Abuja
The Nigerian Senate has ordered the abolition of the operation of the Excess Crude Account (ECA).
This was sequel to a motion moved by Senator Rose Okoh and 42 other Senators on Tuesday describing the Excess Crude Account as an illegality and a drain pipe
Rose Okoh, Senator representing Cross River North noted that the ECA is alien to the 1999 constitution or any other known law of the land and that it is not in tandem with sections 80 (1-4) and 162 (1_3) of the 1999 constitution which prescribed revenue receipt and expenditure.
The motion also raised worries that the continued impunity of the ECA and its discretionary operations in contravention of the constitution is creating room for impudence, recklessness and arbitrariness
Mao Ohuabunwa , Senator representing Abia North in his contribution to the motion, noted that the model of democracy which Nigeria operates is hinged on rule of law.
He lamented that the ECA is being operated arbitrarily without enabling laws
Suleiman Hunkuyi from Kaduna North on his part called on the Senate to find a way of regulating the ECA rather than totally scrapping the account.
This was as Atai Aidoko from Kogi State who also lent his voice to the ECA debate described what is going on with the ECA as illegality, adding that the monies paid into the ECA are being spent without appropriation.
The Senate had last week stepped down the motion raising questions as to the motives of the lawmaker.