Kaduna $350M Loan Request: Group Declares 3 Senators Enemy of State
By Alex Uangbaoje, Kaduna
A group who identifies itself as “Kaduna Concerned Citizens“, has declared three Senators representing Kaduna State as enemies of the progress of the state and its citizens over rejection of loan request of $350m.
The group, led by one Abdulazeez Musa, accused the Senators of placing personal interest over what they said is in an overriding public interest.
“Concerned citizens of Kaduna condem the action of our lethargically inept and self serving senators who are against Governor EI-Rufai for some ethic, political and Emotional jingosims and they hate him for denying them unfettered access to the State Treasury to loot our common wealth or give plump positions to their cronies making them disdain him with a passion.
“This loan is beyond EI-Rufai and beyond these Senators. If is about the over 10million citizens of the Kaduna State who have been short-changed by the Ego tripping Senators for their selfish interest. In any case, this loan request is packaged for the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and submitted to the National Assembly by the Debt Management Office (DMO) in Abuja, before a State merits agenda status to enter the list of states applying for the loan and Kaduna State has. fulfilled the conditions more than most states as clearly stated by enator Kabiru Gaya when his committee on works came to Kaduna State on oversight function.
“We reject and totally condemn the position taken by the Senate to stand in the way as a clog in the wheel of progress of the good people of Kaduna Stare by this unpatriotic and selfish stance to reject a legitmate request by a State Government that has fulfilled all the requirements set by the World Bank to be granted this facility for infrastructural development as opposed to what was the norm by” the previous administration where government at all levels borrow to pay salaries.” Abdulazeez said.
They argued that, “the huge infractructural deficit in the Education, Health and Road sectors necessited the Executive Governor of Kaduna State te declore a State of Emergency in the Education sector as we have over 4,200 primary schools that require total renovation, provision of potable water and furniture out of which over 400 schools have so far been renovated. We also have 130 of the 250 primary health centres fully renovated. Construction of roads in the 23 Local Government Areas of the state is also visible everywhere you go.
“The Government needs a minimum of N60bn just to fix primary schools. A lot more would be needed to actually build· new schools that can have enough classrooms, staff rooms/quarters and other facilities.
“There is no doubt that we would need support to raise the required resources to fund these loudable projects. This is how the State Government approached the World Bank with facts and figures including pictures and after strict scrutiny of the state laws, accounts and performance, the World Bank was convinced that Kaduna State merits their support. Therefore, on 20th June 2017, the World Bank announced that it has decided to provide a budget support facility of $350m to Kaduna State.”
The group also accused the Senate of collaborating with “the 3 senators from Kaduna State to deprive the over lam citizens of the state their legitimate right to decent investment in human capital development through the provision of good schools, hospitals and roods . for a better quality of life and accelerated economic growth through the provision of infrastructure.
“The excuse given by the Senate as to the size of the loan and the viability of the state to repay the loan is baseless, unfounded end self serving as the creditor and ratings agency clearly states that Kaduna State can manage the loan facility which has a 10years moratorium and a 40 years repayment period.”
They noted that “so many other states that have applied along side Kaduna State for this loan facility have been granted approval by the Senate but our 3 senators decided ta place personal interest and ego above the demands of public interest and policy thereby subjecting our law abiding citizens to untold hardship and frustrations as the laudable projects started are yet to be completed.”
