President Tinubu took $9.45bn loans without NASS approval for ‘spurious’ projects – Senator Ndume
By KEMI KASUMU
Senator Ndume has claimed that Tinubu borrowed $9.45bn without approval from the National assembly for spurious projects
Senator Ali Mohammed Ndume has accused President Bola Tinubu of bypassing the National Assembly in many instances to borrow for spurious projects, to the tune of $9.45 billion.
The All Progressives Congress (APC) senator for Borno South also criticised the lop-sidedness in federal political appointments by the president, saying he has favoured one section or ethnic group, contrary to the federal character guidelines.
But the presidency, on Tuesday, refuted the claims of nepotism and lopsided appointments, saying Ndume is not only averse to facts but also addicted to attention seeking conduct.
Speaking on ARISE NEWS Prime Time, on Monday night, with Charles Anagolu, Ndume said, though, he was not against borrowing, in most cases the borrowing was not for capital projects or verifiable tangible projects.
Ndume said, “Let me say that I am not against borrowing, America, Japan, China and other big countries do borrow.
“They borrow for fiscal, tangible and accountable projects, which they pay back over time. But my worry is what they borrow for.
“For example, in June 2023, they borrowed $500 million for a woman programme called NPMWPS. In the same June 23, 2023, another $800 million was borrowed to cushion the effects of the increase in the price of petroleum products.
“Again on September 23, 2023, $700 million was borrowed for adolescent girl initiatives. Again, in December 2023, $750 million was borrowed for renewable energy scale up.
“On June 24, 2024, $1.5 billion was borrowed to support Nigeria for economic stabilisation act for the economy. Then another $750 million was borrowed for technical support to stabilise Nigeria’s economy and scale up support for the poor.”
Ndume said by his calculation, the entire money borrowed was $9.45 billion, approximately N13 trillion.
When asked whether the loans were with the approval of the National Assembly, Ndume said, “Not to my knowledge.”
On the lopsided appointments and alleged nepotism, Ndume said he was shocked when he read the endless and sectional list of federal political appointees, which had gone viral on social media and in the public space.
Describing the situation as non-inclusive and not reflecting the “Renewed Hope Agenda” of the president, the senator said Tinubu took an oath of office and allegiance to carry everybody along in the discharge of his responsibilities.
He pointed out that as a lawmaker, and based on his observation, Tinubu’s appointments so far had violated the federal character principle and should be corrected.
Ndume, a consistently vocal lawmaker, especially on government policies and programmes believed not to be in favour of the masses, is a prominent member of the ruling party.
He stated, “Well, I don’t think I have anything to add, because the figures are there. You can look at it. I sent you all. It is not that I am making accusations or saying that Mr President does not have the right to make appointments.
“But Section 14 (3) of the constitution is very clear. When you look at it vis-à-vis the appointments made so far, they are political appointments.
“If appointments that are professional, so to say, like you can’t appoint someone who is not a soldier to become Chief of Army Staff, or you can’t appoint someone who is not a police officer to become the Inspector General of Police (IGP).
“But then, when you come to look at political appointments, the constitution, as I said earlier, is very clear, and it is to avoid such infractions that the constitution in Section 14 (3) states that political appointments should reflect the federal character guideline, which is not the case here.
“All I am saying is to call the attention of Mr President to such infractions so that they can be corrected, otherwise, this thing can boomerang at a certain period of time.”
On his critical attitude towards government policies, Ndume stated, “Just like you said, people look at me as somebody that is critical of the government, but I have the right to do that because that is why I am elected as a legislator at the National Assembly, in the first place.
“Collectively, we are supposed to oversee the acts of Mr President and point out some of the irregularities.
“This is what we swore to do. It is not personal, because if you count five people in the north that have a personal relationship with President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, I (Ndume) am one of them. But that does not stop me from saying the truth? I have the obligation to do that in the interest of all Nigerians.
“As a Nigerian and lawmaker, I have the right to voice this out, but Tinubu’s attack dogs will attack me, not the message. It is not personal, as I said, especially now that everybody will stand before God Almighty and account for his/her own stewardship as leaders.
“It is unfortunate that after this interaction, these so-called ‘Tinubu Boys’ or people will start attacking Ndume, saying he is a very frustrated person.”
The presidency, however, reacted formally to former Senate Leader, Senator Ali Ndume’s allegations of lopsided appointments under the President Bola Tinubu government, describing the claim as hypocritical and misleading.
Presidential spokesperson, Bayo Onanuga, while dismissing the claim in a reaction posted on via his X handle, @aonanuga1956, said the Borno South senator was “allergic to facts and addicted to theatrics”.
According to the Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy,
“Senator Ali Ndume’s latest outburst on TV about so-called ‘lopsided appointments’ by President Bola Tinubu reeks of hypocrisy and selective perception.
“While the Borno senator grandstanded as a moral authority on equity, he forgot to tell his interviewer that two of his kinsmen featured in recent NNPC Limited top appointments.”
Onanuga pointed out that Chairman of NNPC Limited, who was appointed by Tinubu, hailed from Ndume’s own senatorial district in Borno State.
“If Tinubu and his surrogates’ choices are so ‘tribal,’ how did two of Ndume’s kinsmen clinch NNPC’s top roles?” queried the presidential aide, who accused Ndume of repeatedly engaging in populist rhetoric without regard for verifiable facts.
“His habit of firing half-baked criticisms—only to be contradicted by facts—proves he’s more interested in headline-chasing, rabble rousing, and stoking divisive narratives than offering constructive criticism,” he added.
Onanuga, who refrained from addressing alleged borrowing for spurious projects without the approval of the National Assembly, however, reaffirmed the president’s commitment to inclusive governance, saying Tinubu’s appointments are based on merit, integrity, and national spread.
He stated, “President Tinubu is deeply committed to fostering a government that embraces all Nigerians, irrespective of their ethnic or regional affiliations.”
He urged the senator to “elevate public discourse and avoid misinformation and baseless criticism”.
Onanuga warned that such behaviour was “a disservice to the nation and the behaviour least expected from a Nigerian senator”.
