The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has alleged that securing $500 million loan, purportedly for upgrading of the Nigerian Television Authority (NTA) is a pipe to service presidency cabal.
The $500 million is embedded in the $29.9 billion loan requested for National Assembly’s approval by President Muhammadu Buhari.
However, the PDP said the loan is a craft by the Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, to perish the thoughts of Nigerian and to further mortgage the future of the country.
Kola Ologbondiyan, National Publicity Secretary, who stated this in a statement issued Monday in Abuja, urged the National Assembly to save the nation by refusing the request by President Muhammadu Buhari to plunge the nation into more debt through his request for additional $29.9 billion dollars loan.
Consequently, the PDP has implored the National Assembly to reject any clear attempt by the cabal in the Buhari Presidency to worsen the economic situation in the country via the use of phony projects as guise to draw foreign funds to service their selfish economic and political interests.
“The party notes that under the Buhari Presidency, our foreign debt has accumulated to $83 billion dollars with nothing to show other than excruciating unemployment rate, decayed infrastructure, a worsening governance system, escalated insecurity and unprecedented poverty.
“The PDP alerts that the request for the approval of $500 million is aimed at setting the stage for further fleecing of our nation’s economy as the Federal Government under the Buhari administration has shown no commitment towards nation building, transparency and accountability in governance.
“Moreover, the Federal Government has failed to present details of the requested $29.9 billion dollars loan in which the $500 million being requested by the Minister of Information and Culture is embedded; a development that points to nothing but the corruption in the Buhari administration.
“While counselling the Minister to perish the thoughts of $500 million, the PDP charges him to use his appearance at the National Assembly to give account of the funds so far released to the Ministry of Information and Culture which has been plagued by cases and allegations of corruption under his watch.
“The party also charges Lai Mohammed to immediately provide answers to circumstances surrounding the reported National Broadcasting Commission (NBC) N2.5 billion fraud, Ologbondiyan stated in the statement.
According to the party, the National Assembly should shelve all requests for foreign loans until the Buhari Presidency heed to the demand by Nigerians to open its books and publish details of all financial transactions on foreign loans.
Also, the PDP is challenging the spending from the federation account so as to secure the economy from the bazaar of the corrupt cabal in the Buhari Presidency.
Solomon Ayado, Abuja
