Executive Order 9 Shields Nigeria’s Oil Cash Flow from Leaks- FG
By Patience Ikpeme
The Secretariat of Executive Order 9 has come out strongly to defend the legality of the new directive, stating that it is a necessary move to protect the nation’s federation account and ensure that oil money is managed properly.
This response follows public claims by some legal experts who suggested that the President overstepped his bounds by issuing the order while the Petroleum Industry Act (PIA) of 2021 is still in place.
In a statement signed by Tanimu Yakubu, the Secretary of the Executive Order 9 Implementation Committee, the government explained that the President has the constitutional power to lead and supervise how laws are carried out. The Secretariat made it clear that the order does not cancel or change the PIA, but instead ensures the law is used in a way that does not hurt the country’s finances.
“The President is not a passive observer of how laws are managed,” the statement noted. It further explained that as the head of the executive branch, the President must make sure that laws are followed in a way that respects the Nigerian Constitution. According to the Secretariat, executive orders are normal tools used to coordinate government offices and make sure everything is working as it should.
One of the biggest points addressed was the protection of the Federation Account. The Secretariat described this account as the heart of Nigeria’s financial system because it is where the money meant for the federal, state, and local governments is kept. The government argued that if any administrative practice starts to weaken the flow of money into this account, the President must act to fix it.
“Executive Order 9 is not a constitutional violation. It is a constitutional corrective designed to reinforce the integrity of Nigeria’s public revenue administration,” the statement said. The Secretariat argued that the President is not required to sit back and wait while public funds are handled in ways that might be unclear or inconsistent with the Constitution.
The government also dismissed fears that this new directive would scare away international investors. On the contrary, the Secretariat believes that investors prefer countries where money matters are transparent and handled with clear rules. They stated that strengthening how revenue is sent to the government actually makes Nigeria look better to the rest of the world.
While acknowledging that people are free to debate the new policy, the Secretariat maintained that the claims of the order being illegal are not supported by facts. They insisted that the President’s action is firmly rooted in his responsibility to safeguard the public finance system and ensure that the wealth of the nation is properly accounted for.
The statement concluded by stating that the order is simply a tool for “restoring constitutional discipline” to ensure that the petroleum sector works for the benefit of all Nigerians.
