Kogi, APC at war over proposed N2bn loan
August 11, 2015 : S
The
plan by the Kogi State Government to borrow N2bn to finance its
counterpart payment for Universal Basic Education projects in the state
on Monday further pitted the government against the opposition.
The State Executive Council at a meeting
chaired by the Deputy Governor of the state, Mr. Yomi Awoniyi, had
approved the payment of the state counterpart fund to the Universal
Basic Education Commission to enable the government to access its
backlog of UBE funds for 2013, 2014 and 2015.
The state Commissioner for Information,
Hajiya Zainab Okino, said the approval followed a memo by the
Commissioner for Finance and Economic Development, Mr. Zakari Alfa, in
respect of an offer to support the state government to access the
accumulated three years UBE funds to enable the state to meet all
outstanding obligations and fast-track the development of primary
education in the state.
According to her, the Executive Council
noted that since the UBE Commission was established to oversee primary
education in 1999, funding of primary education became a joint
responsibility of the state and federal governments with both tiers of
government providing equal shares as counterpart fund yearly.
She noted that the law provides that
states must contribute their share of the fund in every fiscal year
before they can access the balance from the UBE Commission, adding that
Kogi State had yet to access the fund since 2013.
Okino said, “The Executive Council
directed the Commissioner for Finance and Economic Development to
conclude all negotiations that will lead to the financing agreement of
the counterpart fund to enable the state to access the accumulated UBE
fund while the State Governor, Captain Idris Wada, is to convey the
decision of the Executive Council to the State House Assembly for
concurrent resolution.”
But the Executive Director, Centre for
Human Rights and Conflict Resolution, Mr. Miliki Idris, and the Kogi
State APC Chairman, Mr. Haddy Ametuo, kicked against the loan.
Idris said the timing of the loan was suspicious. He called on the residents of the state to reject the loan.
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