Angry reactions have greeted the N11 billion loan approved for Governor Sullivan Chime-led government by the Enugu State House of Assembly.
DailyPost recalls that the House had last week adjourned plenary till December.
How, in a dramatic move, it held plenary on Thursday, where an N11 billion naira loan was approved for Governor Chime. Journalists were barred from covering the proceedings.
In a reaction to the development, the Enugu Rescue Group, ERG, called on the Central Bank of Nigeria, CBN, to stop the N11 billion loan from commercial banks, describing it as “2015 general election bonanza that would be of no benefit to the masses of the State”.
This came even as the group strongly condemned what it termed the penchant of the Enugu State House of Assembly and Chime administration for the conduct of public business in secrecy, saying that the emergency reconvening of the House, which had earlier adjourned plenary till December 2, just to approve the loan was very questioning.
In a statement signed by its Publicity Secretary, Comrade Martins Okenwa and made available to reporters on Friday, the Enugu-based pressure group lashed at the State House of Assembly for approving the N11 billion loan, insisting that the move would further enslave the current and unborn generations of Enugu State.
The ERG said: “The reasons adduced for the loan, which is to complete ongoing projects and offset an earlier loan, is untenable and fallacious. We strongly believe that the loan is not unconnected with the 2015 general election.
“We consider it unhealthy for both the State’s economy and the 2015 general election in the State to make such monumental sum available to a government during an election season, especially when they are desperately searching for an alternative political platform to actualise the political ambitions of the Governor’s allies, which is believed to be in jeopardy under the PDP.
“We, therefore, call on the Central Bank of Nigerian and other relevant financial regulatory agencies to stop the loan. We also wish to make it categorically clear to the banks in question that loaning such money to the Chime Administration is at their own risk as incoming people’s government will not repay such dubious loan.”
The group said there would not have been any need for the House of Assembly to approve the loan in a closed door session if the administration if the loan was for public good.
Also reacting to the loan approval, President of Jonathan Support Group, JSG, Enugu State, Rt. Hon. Chief Paul Anikwe, said it was surprising that the governor who had less than five months to go would decide to incur such a huge debt, which would definitely not be repaid before the expiration of his tenure.
He said: “Who do they expect to pay back the loan? What projects is the loan meant to serve if not personal aggrandizement? The timing was totally wrong. It is not right to take such heavy loan at the heat of the current politics.
“How can an outgoing governor request for an approval of N11 billion credit and the House just approved it in few hours without considering the consequences of debt?
“There should be a public hearing where details of such expenditure should be made public for the people of the state to know what the fund is meant for because as we speak, it is on record that the September 2013 salary of Enugu workers has not been paid till today and Enugu civil servants remain the least paid in the Federation, which is disheartening.”
Chief Anikwe said that the loan might be part of the funds the governor needed to actualize his political ambition, urging the CBN to stop the release of the fund by the banks until a clear explanation was given to the people of Enugu State regarding the projects it would be spent on.
“Until such explanations are made, the CBN should halt the release of the fund while the UBA and GTB should know that they are giving the money at their own risk”, he said.
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