The All Progressives Congress (APC) Enugu State chapter has called on the Central Bank of Nigeria and Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to stop Governor Sullivan Chime from accessing a loan of N11 billion approved for him by the State House of Assembly.
In a statement on Sunday by the State Publicity Secretary, Kate Offor, APC expressed outrage over the secrecy that enveloped the loan approved for the governor by the House of Assembly.
The party said the loan was unacceptable and sheer wickedness by a government that has scant regard for civil servants and general welfare of the indigenes.
APC condemned the approval given by the House of Assembly for the loan, saying “it beats its 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 loan of N11 billion in a less than transparent manner.”
The statement reads further: “Information reaching us is that on Thursday, November 13, the Enugu State Assembly that was on recess till December 4, hurriedly went into secret sitting at the hallowed chambers, barricaded the press and in hushed tones, approved a loan of N11 billion 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 honourable House do resolve to authorise 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 is the title of the projects upon which the previous loans were obtained?
“It is our candid view that the loan is meant to rig the 2015 general elections, and allegedly for retirement benefit for Governor Chime; for the budget information at our disposal has it that N500 million is earmarked for disbursement to each local government few weeks before the elections, making it N8.5 billion, in what they tagged election materials and N2.5 billion for sundries. We stand to be contradicted with factual evidence,” APC stated.
The party noted that all facts available indicated that the loan is blatant fraud, and gross man’s inhumanity to man.
APC therefore called on the CBN and Economic and EFCC, to stop the government from accessing the loan facility and challenged the issuing banks to halt the fraudulent loan transaction, for an APC government that comes May 29, 2015, would not honour fraudulent loans, which would become unnecessary burden for government to shoulder.
Source: DailyIndependent
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