$280 Loan Deepens Rivers Govt, PDP Loggerhead

Source: pointblanknews.com

The $280 Million Water and Sanitation loan obtained by the Rivers State

Government has further deepen the political fight between the Peoples

Democratic Party, PDP and the Governor Rotimi Amaechi led All Progressive

Congress, APC, Government.
The Rivers state chapter of the PDP said while the loan has become

unnecessary in view of the huge resources accruing to the state, it is

also aimed at creating a financial mess for the successor of the incumbent

Governor.
The PDP also alleged that the loan would end up being used for the 2015

elections, according to a statement signed by Jerry Needam, Special

Adviser on Media to the State Chairman of PDP.
According to the state PDP, “Whether the loans have short or long term

repayment conditions, it is immaterial at this point, for any society that

lives on loans has no future and can never develop its own potential.

“It is unfortunate this is all Amaechi can wish a highly prosperous state

like Rivers, the natural seat of oil and gas, a natural resource that has

made havens of the nations that have it.”
But a statement signed by the State Commissioner for Information and

Communications, Mrs. Ibim Semenitari, said the statement credited to the

State PDP is misleading and mischievous.
She said the governor was running a transparent and accountable government.

According to her, Rivers State Government applied for and secured a loan

package from the ADB and the World Bank in 2012 for a World Bank-assisted

water scheme in the state.
“The rule is that the national government would need to endorse the

release of the loan after the Rivers State House of Assembly would have

approved.
“Everything else was done but for reasons unknown to the Rivers State

Government, the responsible officers on the Ministry of Finance failed to

sign off the release of funds, therefore denying the people of the state

access to good water.
“Not willing to give up, the Rivers State Government continued to push and

the scheme with the loan was again approved in the 2014 budget. Now, the

Federal Government has finally signed off for this fund to be drawn down

for work to start.
“But due process required that the Rivers State House of Assembly endorsed

it once more. This is what necessitated the re-presentation of the old

loan to the House.
Semenitari accused the PDP of leading the nation's economy on a downwards

trend through its lack of prudence and irresponsible stewardship of

national resources.
“Nigerians are still waiting for the report of the probe into the 48.9

billion dollars NNPC funds. In the meantime, delegates at the National

Conference have alleged another missing N730 billion from the Nigeria

Ports Authority.
“Rather than address these issues, the PDP is sending Nigerians off on a

wild goose chase. But while the PDP can deceive some of the people, some

of the time, it cannot deceive all the people, all the time,” she said.