Rivers PDP tackle Amaechi over $280m foreign loan

The $280 Million Water and Sanitation loan obtained by the Rivers State

Government has further deepen the political fight between the Peoples
Democratic Party, PDP and the Governor Rotimi Amaechi led All Progressive
Congress, APC, Government.

The Rivers state chapter of the PDP said while the loan has become
unnecessary in view of the huge resources accruing to the state, it is
also aimed at creating a financial mess for the successor of the incumbent
Governor.

The PDP also alleged that the loan would end up being used for the 2015
elections, according to a statement signed by Jerry Needam, Special
Adviser on Media to the State Chairman of PDP.

According to the state PDP, “Whether the loans have short or long term
repayment conditions, it is immaterial at this point, for any society that
lives on loans has no future and can never develop its own potential.

“It is unfortunate this is all Amaechi can wish a highly prosperous state
like Rivers, the natural seat of oil and gas, a natural resource that has
made havens of the nations that have it.”

But a statement signed by the State Commissioner for Information and
Communications, Mrs. Ibim Semenitari, said the statement credited to the
State PDP is misleading and mischievous.

She said the governor was running a transparent and accountable government.

According to her, Rivers State Government applied for and secured a loan
package from the ADB and the World Bank in 2012 for a World Bank-assisted
water scheme in the state.

“The rule is that the national government would need to endorse the
release of the loan after the Rivers State House of Assembly would have
approved.

“Everything else was done but for reasons unknown to the Rivers State
Government, the responsible officers on the Ministry of Finance failed to
sign off the release of funds, therefore denying the people of the state
access to good water.

“Not willing to give up, the Rivers State Government continued to push and
the scheme with the loan was again approved in the 2014 budget. Now, the
Federal Government has finally signed off for this fund to be drawn down
for work to start.

“But due process required that the Rivers State House of Assembly endorsed
it once more. This is what necessitated the re-presentation of the old
loan to the House.

Semenitari accused the PDP of leading the nation’s economy on a downwards
trend through its lack of prudence and irresponsible stewardship of
national resources.

“Nigerians are still waiting for the report of the probe into the 48.9
billion dollars NNPC funds. In the meantime, delegates at the National
Conference have alleged another missing N730 billion from the Nigeria
Ports Authority.

“Rather than address these issues, the PDP is sending Nigerians off on a
wild goose chase. But while the PDP can deceive some of the people, some
of the time, it cannot deceive all the people, all the time,” she said.