JOS, Nigeria – The All Progressives Congress, APC, in Plateau State has expressed its objection to Governor Caleb Mutfwang’s request for a N15 billion loan, which was approved by the State House of Assembly.
During the first sitting of the 10th Assembly, the governor’s communication was read by the Assembly Speaker, Moses Sule.
In his request, Governor Mutfwang mentioned that the loan would be utilized to clear the backlog of civil servants’ salary arrears and to acquire farm inputs for farmers.
However, the APC through its spokesperson, Mr. Sylvanus Namang, issued a statement opposing the loan on Thursday, June 22, 2023.
The APC alleged that Governor Mutfwang did not follow the due process as mandated by the Plateau State Debt Management Law for obtaining such a loan.
Mr. Namang highlighted that for such a loan to be acquired, certain steps must be diligently followed, including a discussion by the State Debt Management Advisory Committee on the purpose and necessity of the loan for the state.
Additionally, the State Executive Council must approve the loan before forwarding it to the House of Assembly for deliberation.
Mr. Namang also criticized the speed at which the loan was approved, stating that it should not have been passed during the very first formal sitting of the 10th Assembly.
He mentioned that such approvals by the State Executive Council and the House of Assembly should then be forwarded to the Ministry of Finance and Debt Management Department for further processing.
Furthermore, Mr. Namang expressed concern that, to the best of the APC’s knowledge, there was no State Executive Council in place at the time, and the Debt Advisory Committee was not constituted.
He termed the two-thirds majority of the PDP in the Plateau State House of Assembly as not a license for recklessness and arbitrariness and termed the reasons provided for the loan as unconvincing.
The APC is calling for adherence to the due process and checks to ensure that the loan does not have detrimental effects on the state’s finances and governance.
