Governor Abubakar Sani Bello of Niger State has refuted claims made by the former Governor of the state, Dr. Muazu Babangida Aliyu that while in office he sought and got approval for a Loan of 181 million dollars from Islamic Development Bank for the Dualization of Minna- Bida Road.
In a statement issued by the Chief Press Secretary to the Governor, Mrs Mary Noel Berje and made available to Igbere TV described his claim that the loan did not hit the State’s Bank account until he had left office as baseless and a cheap propaganda aimed at promoting his political party preparatory to the 2019 Local Government Elections.
Governor Abubakar Sani Bello said his administration will remain steadfast and will not succumb to blackmail.
The statement read;
” We will like to put the records straight He (Dr Muazu Babangida) engaged a firm to prepare feasibility report on the project but he never paid a Kobo, which confirmed the assumption that he did that to play politics with the people. Only Babangida Aliyu can call this achievement.
The current administration of Governor Abubakar Sani Bello paid the firm.
Let us be very clear also: Ex-gov. Aliyu never secured a loan for Niger state from the Islamic Development Bank. It was not until the coming of Governor Abubakar Sani Bello that advancements were made by Niger State Government to obtain such a loan for the purpose of construction and dualization of the Bida-Minna road.
It is outrageously ridiculous, even for a “reputable man like Babangida Aliyu, to now claim that he secured such a loan on the verge of leaving office. It is especially insulting to the intelligence of his audience for him to claim that such funds were misappropriated. Anybody with a good sense of judgement should know that the Islamic Development Bank is not like the usual commercial banks that grant loans and permit the receiver to expend the loan at will.
Former Governor Aliyu counted on the ignorance of his audience. He must have hoped that they did not know that the Islamic Development Bank does not pay monies into the account of governments after they approve loan for a state. The bank deals, and pays directly to contractors; contractors that they select after a rigorous and clear international bidding process have been completed.
How can any individual invite the current government to account for monies that they cannot even have access to?
To secure an international loan, states require the approval of the Federal Executive Council and the National Assembly, but such an approval was never granted, nor was it ever sought by the government of Babangida Aliyu led administration, neither did the State House of Assembly or even the Council he chaired ever deliberated on the matter.
He should also know that a number of reports are required by the IDB before such loan is considered, One of such is the Environmental Impact Assessment, this study was neither commissioned nor carried out by the Muazu Babangida administration. Nor was there a Traffic Census report which is required as justification for the dualisation. And nobody remembered any bidding, not even Babangida Aliyu. How can anyone remember what did not happen.
His audience should ask him on what terms he secured this loan that is a figment of his imagination. He should explain also how he managed to secure a loan from an international bank without the State House of Assembly being in the know, and without the approval of the Federal Executive Council and National Assembly?
Perhaps because we are not asking him to explain how his administration misappropriated funds including Teachers Salary Scheme ,that never came to fruition or the Minna City Center that never saw the light of the day even after millions went into it., The Ward Development projects as well as the 10km roads projects that were smokescreens for embezzlement . There is also the issue of the 5-Star Hotel that never saw the light of the day even after the state funded it, and the disappearance of funds withdrawn from government coffers ostensibly for the construction of Minna Stadium, another one taken to dualise Kafin koro road which also disappeared into the thin air, as well as how he paid himself over N2 Billion naira as house rent, the local government workers were also pauperised throughout the mismanagement of their 7.5% contributory pension.
Finally, for the records, the Government of Abubakar Sani Bello, secured the clearance for the loan, paid for Environmental and Social Impact Assessment Report, paid for the Feasibility Report, presented the Traffic Censured Report, got the approval of the Federal Executive Council, got the approval of National Assembly, secured the approval of the State Assembly.
It is good to note that following the approval of National Assembly, the Governor has written to Federal Ministry of Finance and the Ministry has also written to IDB to validate the loan and IDB has included the project in its 2020 plan.”
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