Nigerian Senate replies Amaechi on approval of foreign loan

*Reports show Amaechi’s statement about Senate’s refusal is correct

It is however not clear what the Senate’s spokesman, Senator Aliyu Sabi Abdullahi, meant by castigating the Minister of Transportation, Amaechi, over the statement that Senate refused to approve the loan for counterpart funding, being that on Tuesday November 1, 2016 the Senate unanimously threw out loan plans by President Muhammadu Buhari to engage in external borrowing of $29.960 billion for execution of key infrastructural projects across the country between 2016 and 2018.

The Senate on Wednesday directed the Minister of Transportation, Rotimi Amaechi, to withdraw the statement he made in Ilorin on Monday during the North Central Town Hall meeting by the Federal Government in which he claimed that the refusal of the National Assembly to approve the request by the government for foreign loan that will be used for counterpart funding was frustrating the construction of the Lagos-Ibadan and Ibadan-Ilorin-Minna -Kano rail lines.

It is however unclear what the Senate spokesman was asking Mr. Rotimi Amaechi to withdraw his statement for as reports exist showing how the Senate unanimously, two times, voted ‘Nay’ and thereby rejected “the request of the President Commander-in-Chief on the 2016 – 2018 External Borrowing Rolling Plan”, which the then Senate Leader Ali Ndume mentioned as executive communication for consideration by the Senate.

The Senate in a statement by its spokesman, Senator Aliyu Sabi Abdullahi, said the statement was not only false, misrepresenting and contradictory to available facts but that it also portrayed the Minister as not in tune with the position of the government in which he is serving.

“As at today, the only request for approval from the Executive for loan was the one dated January 27, 2017 and signed by Acting President, Professor Yemi Osinbajo seeking a “resolution of the National Assembly For the Issuance of USD 1 Billion EuroBond In the International Capital Market for the Funding of the 2016 Budget Deficit” and we immediately granted the approval.

“Also, in the letter quoted above, the government mentioned the two rail lines cited by the minister as part of the projects for which the EuroBond will be utilised. So, we cannot understand what the grouse of Mr. Amaechi is.

“We view that statement based on false and misinformed premise strongly as a mere attempt to incite the people against the National Assembly. The Minister should therefore withdraw that statement. Furthermore, the National Assembly will take up the matter with the Acting President, Prof. Yemi Osinbajo.

“As a former Speaker of a state House of Assembly, we believe that a minister like Amaechi should always check his facts and refrain from making unguarded and inciting remarks against the legislature.

“What Nigeria needs at this point is for all arms of government to work together and create the synergy necessary to take Nigeria out of the present economic crisis we have found ourselves. Comments designed to infuriate one arm of government or incite the people against another arm of the government will do no one any good and we do not expect such statements from a Minister in the present government”, Abdullahi stated.

The DEFENDER reported on Tuesday that the Minister of Transportation, Rt. Hon. Rotimi Amaechi, while giving the stewardship of his ministry at a Town Hall meeting in Ilorin, lamented that the refusal of the National Assembly to approve the government’s borrowing plan from China was drawing the government back and that he urged the people from the three states to prevail on the National Assembly to approve the loan.

According to him, if accessed, the loan would enable the government embark on the rivatalisation of rail projects, which would create more jobs.

He said: “Go and talk to your people in the National Assembly. They are the ones holding the Federal Government back from improving on the infrastructure that would provide mass employment for the people by stopping the President’s borrowing plan from China. They are the ones frustrating our efforts.”

It is however not clear what the Senate’s spokesman, Senator Aliyu Sabi Abdullahi, meant by castigating the Minister of Transportation, Amaechi, over the statement that Senate refused to approve the loan for counterpart funding, being that on Tuesday November 1, 2016 the Senate unanimously threw out loan plans by President Muhammadu Buhari to engage in external borrowing of $29.960 billion for execution of key infrastructural projects across the country between 2016 and 2018.

It would be recalled also that the Senate did not even discuss the presidential loan request as it was killed immediately it was mentioned as an executive communication by Senate Leader, Senator Ali Ndume “that the Senate do consider the request of the President Commander-in-Chief on the 2016 – 2018 External Borrowing Rolling Plan.”

Soon after Ndume’s remarks, Senate President Bukola Saraki put it to vote and the Nays had it.

Senator Saraki who was surprised and trying to give President Buhari a soft landing, decided to put the loan request into vote the second time and the Nays still had it and he ruled.

President Muhammadu Buhari had on Tuesday October 25, 2016 written to the National Assembly seeking for the approval of external borrowing plan of $29.960billion for execution of key infrastructural projects across the country between 2016 and 2018.