As part of efforts to ensure that ongoing infrastructural development projects across Ogun state are completed in due course and not abandoned, Ogun State House of Assembly has approved Governor Ibikunle Amosun’s request to secure a N10 billion loan from the Federal Government’s Infrastructural Development Intervention Fund.
The N10 billion Federal Government Infrastructural Development Intervention Fund seeking by Ogun state government for the completion of several ongoing infrastructural projects in the state was part of the Federal Government’s Restructuring of Commercial Bank Loans and Salary Bailout Scheme initiated by President Muhammadu Buhari-led Federal Government.
Governor Amosun requested lawmakers’ approval for State government participation in the Infrastructural Development Intervention Fund through an executive letter dated October 6, 2015, “as a follow up to the Federal Government’s Restructuring of Commercial Bank Loans/ Salary Bailout Scheme.”
The executive letter added: “We hereby request for the resolution of the House of Assembly to approve our participation in the Special Infrastructural Intervention Fund to the tune of 10,000,000,000:00 (Ten Billion naira) only.”
Consequently, the approval was granted through a motion moved by the majority leader, Adeyinka Mafe, seconded by Olusesan Soyebo; and was later supported by the whole house during the plenary session on Tuesday.
Whiile opening debates on the motion, Mafe explained that the fund would help in ensuring the completion of infrastructural projects for the social economic development of the state.
Making different contributions about the loan, various lawmakers, including Akinpelu Aina, Isreal Jolaoso, Oludare Kadiri, Jimi Otukoya, Julianah Akintayo, Jemili Akingbade and Tunde Sanusi appreciated the commitment of Governor Ibikunle Amosun-led Government towards urban and rural development through its five cardinal programmes.
They however, called for judicious use of the intervention fund so that all parts of the state would be feel socio-economic impacts of the loan in terms of road construction and other relevant infrastructure, adding that Governor Amosun should ensure that all the 20 Local Government Areas in the State benefit from the infrastructural projects meant for execution.
They also ppealed to the Federal Government to refund capital expenditure expended on the construction of some Federal Government-owned roads by the State Government in order to have more funds to enhance infrastructural development that would serve as a relief to the citizens.
RAZAQ AYINLA
