TheCable

Olanrewaju Suraj, chairman of the Human and Environmental Development Agenda (HEDA), says Gboyega Oyetola, the immediate former governor of Osun, should be commended for not taking loans throughout his four-year tenure.

Suraj said this on Monday during a virtual interview with journalists on corruption issues in Nigeria ahead of the World International Anti-corruption Day slated for December 9.

On Sunday, TheCable reported the swearing-in of Ademola Adeleke as the new governor of the state.

In his farewell message, Oyetola said his administration paid “N97 billion from the total debt” inherited in 2018 when he assumed office.

He added that his administration did not borrow to finance the state while noting that he is leaving behind over N14 billion.

In his reaction to the development, Suraj said Oyetola’s non-borrowing policy is remarkable and significant.

“The World Bank gave the governor some awards of recognition of him not truly taking loans to run his government,” Suraj said. 

“That is remarkable. I am not too sure if there is any governor currently in this country that has served any term without taking loans locally and at the international level if not to implement projects or to even pay salaries.

“And the debt profile of the state between 2018 and this period was not even attractive to any lender to have borrowed the state money.

“It would have been difficult if he had decided to borrow but because at some point the FAAC allocation to the state was even put at minus.”