Chime
The All Progressives Congress, APC, on Sunday urged the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC to stop Governor Sullivan Chime from having access to the 11 billion naira loan approved for his government by the Enugu State House of Assembly.
In a statement signed by Mrs Kate Ofor, the Publicity Secretary of the APC, Enugu State Chapter, the party said contrary to Chime’s claims, the money was meant for the 2015 general elections.
The statement read, “The All Progressives Congress, APC, Enugu State Chapter, is outraged over the secrecy that envelops the N11 billion loan approved for Governor Sullivan Chime-led administration by the Enugu State House of Assembly.
“Information reaching us is that on Thursday, 13th November, the Enugu State Assembly that was on recess, till 4th December; hurriedly went into secret sitting at the hallowed chambers, barricaded the press and in hushed tunes approved N11 billion loan for Governor Chime.
“On further inquiry, we found out that they mangled the fact that the loan is 2015 general election motivated; by dishing out the lame excuse that the loan is to enable Governor Chime’s administration complete ongoing projects and also offset previous loan facility obtained from a new generation bank, which interest rate was jerked up astronomically.
“In sheer unimaginable falsehood the House records reads, ‘this honorable House do resolve to authorize the state government to obtain loans of one billion naira and ten billion naira respectively from UBA Plc to re-finance facility from GTB and fund infrastructural projects in the state’.
“May we ask, if the loan is for public good, why the secrecy in the sitting of the House and hurried approval of the loan? Is the ongoing project the white elephant state secretariat? What are the title of the projects upon which the previous loans were obtained?
“Why did they deny the good people of Enugu the details of the loan? We thought that the core ingredient of democracy is openness and transparency?”
“It is our candid view that the loan is meant to rig the 2015 general elections, and allegedly retirement benefit for Governor Chime; for the budget information at our disposal has it that N500m is earmarked for disbursement to each local government few weeks before the elections, making it N8.5billion, in what they tagged election materials and N2.5 billion for sundries. We stand to be contradicted with factual evidence.
“All facts available indicates that the loan is blatant fraud, and gross man’s inhumanity to man; we therefore call on the Central Bank of Nigeria and Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, to stop the government from accessing the loan facility.
“The loan is unacceptable and sheer wickedness by a government that has scant regard for civil servants and general welfare of the indigenes.
“Accordingly, we challenge Governor Chime to open the account books of Enugu State and absolve himself of the unbridled corruption under his watch. For we know that the work he has done is not commensurate to the huge Federal Allocations, which accrued to our state and local government councils in the past 7 years.
“On this score we challenge the issuing banks to halt the fraudulent loan transaction; for an APC government come 29th May, 2015, will not honour fraudulent loans, for it will become unnecessary burden for government to shoulder.
“In sum, it beats our imagination that Governor Chime, a senior counsel, who is at the twilight of his administration should deviate from due process and rule of law, by requesting for N11 billion loan,in less than transparent manner”, the statement added.
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