BY Fredrick Nwabufo
The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has asked President Muhammadu Buhari to account for recovered loot over his proposed decision to borrow $29.96bn.
The president had asked the national assembly for approval to borrow the sum from external sources.
But the PDP called on the national assembly to reject the proposal “because it will plunge the country into huge debts”.
“We totally disagree with the APC led federal government on this latest move, and call on President Muhammed Buhari to first and foremost explain to Nigerians what his administration has done with the so-called ‘recovered looted funds’ and how far the 2016 budget is fairing,” the party said in a statement by Dayo Adeyeye, its spokesman.
The PDP said Buhari must itemise what he intends to finance with the proposed borrowing instead of “lumping it up in a coded term, and to plunge the nation into debt.”
It also said that the approach was not the preferred solution to the economic quagmire “which this government created due to ineptitude.”
“Nigerians will recall that the minister of information, culture and tourism, Alhaji Lai Mohammed in June 2016 made public through a press statement, an account of recovered looted funds between May 2015 to May 2016 amounting to the sums of N78.3bn, $185.1m, £3.5m and €11,250m in cash; while others were under interim forfeiture. What happened to the recovered funds? Or is it the same funds the EFCC and DSS are planting in houses of opposition figures and justices instead of channeling it into the economy?” the party asked.
“In addition, the Chairman of Economic and Financial Crime Commission (EFCC), Ibrahim Magu recently confirmed our position when he stated that the commission recovered more money in eight months than it recovered in 12 years.
“Nigerians need to know how much revenue government has been able to generate from crude oil, non-oil and independent revenue sources since assumption of office from May 2015 to September 2016. This clarification will boost confidence of Nigerians on the management of their resources especially in this period of recession before thinking of engaging in external borrowing.
“It is no gain saying that the APC led federal government has left no stone unturned in castigating the PDP’s 16 years as wasted even with its obvious achievements; one of which was getting reprieve from the Paris Club of Creditors. The APC-led federal government is again taking Nigeria prior to Year 2005 when external debt burden derailed the growth of Nigeria economy and weakened the GDP before the total cancellation of her debt. This proposed action of the APC’s government will be a great injustice to the citizens of this country now and in the future if they are plunged back into debt.
“Let us state unequivocally, that history will not forgive this APC government and its collaborators if they allow this injustice and maladministration to our economy and citizens to stand. We therefore call on the two chambers of the national assembly to reject this anti-people request by an anti-people government that has no genuine interest for the growth and development of the people of this country.”
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