Kwara House steps down Ahmed’s request for another N1bn loan

The Kwara House of Assembly on Tuesday stepped down the request of Gov. Abdulfatah Ahmed seeking to access another N1 billion agriculture loan from Sterling Bank for disbursement to poultry and fish farmers in the state.

It also set aside his request seeking approval for a loan of N400million to settle the subventions of the state-owned tertiary institutions.

The House took the decision in its resolution after deliberating on the governor’s request read by the Speaker, Dr Ali Ahmad.
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In a unanimous decision, the House asked the executive to brief it on how the N1billion agriculture loan approved by the House in 2017 was disbursed

The House also directed its Committee on Agriculture and Natural Resources to liaise with the executive to ascertain the real identity of the beneficiaries of the new loan request.

Also justifying the setting aside of the N400million loan request, the House said there was no need for it since the allocation from the Federal Government and the state’s Internally Generated Revenue had improved since January

It, however, approved the request of the governor to obtain a N4billion loan to offset the backlog of salaries owed staff and pensioners in the 16 local government councils of the state.

Local government workers and pensioners are currently owed N7.7billion in accumulated salary arrears and pensions, prompting the state government to opt for the loan.

The governor in his message to the House had noted that local government councils were grappling with the challenges of paying salaries, pensions and gratuities.
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