Protest in Hungary over proposed 54 million euros loan to Nigeria

Nigerians in Hungary have petitioned the Hungarian government protesting the proposed 54 million Euro loan deal it intends to give the Nigerian Ministry of Water Resources, describing it as a fraud.
 
A letter addressed to the Hungarian Prime Minister, Victor Orban, signed by the President of the Association of Nigerians in Hungary, Mr. Frederick Omoyoma and 12 others, noted that the loan for the study of the drainage work at the Rivers Niger and Benue and to also check sedimentation in Nigeria is a ¨duplication and misplaced priority since the Nigerian government had on several occasions said it had awarded contracts for the dredging of River Niger and Benue.’’

The petition urged the Hungarian government to channel such funds to projects such as power project which will directly affect the lives of Nigerians rather than granting loan for execution of projects, which the Nigerian government has awarded the jobs ¨in the past, but people syphoned the money¨

The petition read:¨You  may  be  surprised  to  know  that  contracts for  the  dredging  of  the  River  Niger  and  River Benue  have been  awarded  and  commenced in  Nigeria.

This ongoing project will overtake any other ‘study’ that our Minister of Water Resources is seeking loan for.‘’¨What is the point of seeking loan for a ‘study’ that will lead to bigger project expected to stop  flooding  when  a  dredging  project  that  will end  the  same  flooding  has  already commenced?

‘’Is  our  Minister  trying  to  duplicate  a  project  that  has  already  commenced through the financing of our government?
Sir,  as  our  country  continues  to  fight  corruption,  we  wish  to  inform  you  that  contract  for  the dredging  of  the  River  Niger  was  awarded by  the  former President  of  Nigeria  for  N47 billion (114,634,146 euro). Out of that amount, N34 billion (82,926,829 euro) was paid to contractors  and the job  was abandoned.

We know that 54 million euro can equip our army to end terrorism in Nigeria. That amount of money could conveniently settle internally displaced persons in Nigeria. It could also be used to build schools for some children who are learning under deplorable classroom conditions.

Kazaure local government of Jigawa State which is the birth place of our Minister for Water Resources is equally in serious need of
social and economic development. 54 million euro could provide steady electricity to some parts of Nigeria. It could even be
used in upgrading some of our hospitals to the standard of some hospitals in Hungary thereby discouraging our politicians from seeking medical treatments abroad,” it stated.

Sir, we ask that you cancel this loan and assist Nigeria in any other way you may deem necessary. For the sake of our generation and those coming after us, please do not support any intention by the Nigerian Ministry of Water Resources to further severe the thin thread that currently hold us together as a country.

Nigerians are already very provoked by the desire to receive this loan from Hungary. The circumstances and the amount quoted in this loan is very questionable, therefore we urge your government not to honour it since it will not be of benefit to Nigerians¨ it stated.