Group tasks National Assembly over Chinese loan, FG on CAMA Act

A faith-based non-governmental organisation, Centre for Righteous Living (CRIL), has urged the National Assembly not to discontinue its probe on the controversial Chinese loan.

The CRIL President, Rev. Solomon Adegbolagun, who disclosed this at a press conference in Lagos, condemned the conditionality attached to the Chinese loan.

This, according to him, was capable of compromising the national sovereignty and called for transparency in the manner such huge loan is expended.

Adegbolagun said: “We call on the National Assembly to investigate the details of the loan, find out its terms and conditions and implications for Nigeria. We are not against taking of loans for national development, but the issue of local content is crucial to Nigerian professionals. This and other pertinent areas of the loan condition must be properly scrutinised by the National Assembly. We don’t want what is happening in some African countries to happen in Nigeria, where Chinese have taken over some sensitive aspects of the economy of those countries.

“Loan is good if it is properly channelled. We will soon begin to see train running from Lagos to Ibadan. The question is: Who are the engineers? Are they Nigerians?”

Besides, the group said that the CAMA Act 2020 affecting the churches and NGOs should be reviewed.

“We are not against CAMA Act 2020 but the section that states that the trustees can be removed by the Registrar of Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC),” it said.