LABOUR PARTY PROTEST SENATE APPROVAL OF $350M WORLD BANK LOAN FOR OGUN GOVERNMENT
Labour Party,LP,Ogun State Chapter has protested against the Senate approval of $350m World Bank loan for Ogun State Government.
The opposition party on Friday made the protest in a statement signed by its Chairman, Abayomi Arabambi, declaring that the approval was against the fiscal Responsibility Act 2007 and 1999 constitution
‘Ogun State Labour Party attention has been drawn to a purported clandestine smoked screen , induce ,compromise and fraudulent approval of $350m Dollars World Bank Loan for outgoing Governor of Ogun State, Senator Ibikunle Amosun and His APC members by the APC controlled Senate onThursday the 9th of November, 2017’,the statement reads.
The party said, it was shocked by what it described as the gross irresponsibilities, penchant for disrespect for the rule of law and constitution by the Senate leadership under Senator Bukola Saraki who for this kind displayed corruption has a lot of cases instituted against him by the present Administration.
‘Ogun State Labour Party wrote a letter to the Clerk of the National assembly dated 14th July 2017 where our party requested under the freedom of information act 2011 demanded for full information on the request of the then Acting President Prof Yemi Osinbajo to the National Assembly on behalf of 10 states for foreign Loan request of $1.49billion Dollars base on the previous Approval of the federal executive council for 2016-2018 external borrowing rolling plan dated by the executive on 25th May 2017 but submitted to the National Assembly on 6 th day of june, 2017 and read by both the Senate and House of reps on the floor of their chambers same 6 th of June‘,Arabambi recalled.
He added that,the Clerk of the National Assembly, through the Director Committee Services, Mr Rahmatu Ahmad wrote a response dated 14th August 2017 where the votes and proceedings of the Tuesday 6th June, 2017 and Thursday 27th July 2017 were attached.
‘On the 6th of June 2017, as attached by the Clerk officially to Ogun State LP, the then Acting President, Prof Yemi Osinbajo requested the approval of both chambers for external loans to 10 States including the projects such states intends to execute’,he said.
The opposition party boss argued that, Ogun and Kaduna States did not indicate any project as enshrine in the Fiscal Responsibility Act 2007 .
‘Subsequently, the House of Representatives at its plenary on Thursday 27 th July 2017 rejected the loan request for Ogun State and Kaduna for Development Policy Operations (DPO)’.he stated.
The statement alleged that,suddenly Senate was compromise by Governor Amosun through the Senate Committee on Local and Foreign debt headed by the fierce enemy of Governor Nasir El Rufai of Kaduna State in person of Shehu Sani who himself is nursing governorship ambition in Kaduna come 2019.
‘It was a rude shock and political rascally on the part of Senator Shehu Sani who on November 2nd 2017 submitted his committee approval to the Senate only for Ogun State out of 10 states submited for consideration by the then Acting president . Why Ogun State Alone?’
The statement added that,Labour Party wrote a letter to both Clerk of the National Assembly and the Clerk of the Senate demanding for the full information and details about the Senate Committe on local and foreing debt approval report for World Bank Credit Facility for Ogun State.
‘ As submitted and presented to the Senate on Wednesday November 1st,2017 by the Chairman, Senate Committee on Local and foreign debt,Senator Shehu Sani’
‘We equally wrote a petition to the Senate President intimating him about the lawlessness and legislative impunity exhibited by the Committee on local and foreign Debt’,Arabambi emphasised .
‘ Our party equally wrote a petition to all the remaining 108 Senators of the federal Republic in respect of the compromise nature of the selective loan Approval to Ogun State’,he added.
‘The law is clear,in part 10, section 44 sub (1) (2a),and (2b) of the Fiscal Responsibility Act 2007, ACT number 31 States, the conditioned of borrowing and Verification of compliance limits as follows’
’44 (1) “Any Government in the federation or its agencies and corporations desirous of borrowing shall specify the purpose for which the borrowing is intended and present a cost benefit analysis, detailing the economic and social benefits of the purpose to which the intended borrowing is to be applies. “
44(2) “Without prejudice to subsection (1) of this section, each borrowing shall comply with the following conditions: (a) The existence of the authorization in the Appropriation or other Act or Law for the purpose for which the borrowing is to be utilized “
The opposition party, therefore declared that,from the above , Ogun State Governor Ibikunle Amosun request did not conformed with the provision of this Act and constitution of Nigeria.
He argued further that,’because the project for which the loan was intended was not specified but because of Governor Amosun penchant for corruption and fraudulent intention for eternal enrichment, Senator Shehu Sani allowed himself to be compromise by turning his face away from the provision of the 1999 Constitution and provision of the Fiscal Responsibility Act 2007.
‘Another poser was why Senator Shehu Sani committee choose to only approved Ogun State World Bank loan for non existing Development Policy Operation and ignore that of his State Kaduna’,the statement said.
We are not unmindful of the ‘promise of support for Senator Shehu Sani governorship ambition in 2019 by Governor Amosun as part of the agreement reached before the illegal approval was made’,Arabambi noted.
‘We have however instructed our lawyer to institute court action against the Senate President,Deputy Senate President, Speaker House of Representatives, Deputy Speaker House of Representatives, Clerk of the National Assembly, Clerk of the Senate’
He declared that others to be join in suit include, National Assembly,Ministry of Finance, Attorney General of the Federation, Fiscal Responsibility Commission, Ogun State House of Assembly,Speaker of Ogun State House of Assembly,three Senators representing Ogun State,nine House of Representatives members representing Ogun State,Debt Management Office.
The Labour Party stressed,”we swore to see to the end of this impending court action up to Supreme Court’.
‘Our party as the true face of opposition in Ogun State shall use all constitutional means to prevent Governor Amosun from perpetually plunge Ogun State in to Debt Slavery
