Legislators at the Niger State House of Assembly have set aside the request of Governor Muhammad Umar Bago to access a N50 billion loan facility offered by Union Bank Plc to set up an agricultural food park and farm estate.
The decision was reached shortly after the presentation of the report of the chairman of the Joint Committee on Education and Finance, Alhassan Isah, during a plenary presided over by the Speaker, Mohammad Sarkindaji.
Recall that Governor Bago had, in the letter earlier forwarded to the house and read by the Speaker, said the facility will support Niger State’s initiative to actualise the ongoing Green Economy Revolution of the state, create value chains for farm produce, ensure bumper harvest and ensure food security for the state and Nigeria at large.
Isah, who represents Mashegu constituency, told the house that the letter from the governor requesting approval for the N50 billion loan, based on the committee’s observations, did not show enough evidence on how the fund will be expended,
“From our findings, the loan facility is not clearly spelt out. We don’t know where the projects will be sited, or the exact areas the loan will cover. So, the Committee on Agriculture and Finance decided to meet with the state Commissioner for Agriculture and his team to enlighten the house on how the N50b loan facility can improve the economic life of Nigerlites and the ministry has yet to provide the committee with the necessary document.
“In line with the above observation, we need more time to do our findings to enable us to do a good job,” he said.
Afterwards, the lawmakers took time and discussed the issue extensively and decided that the executive should be specific on where the agricultural food parks and farm estates will be sited as well as the role of local governments in the whole process.
Consequently, the Speaker of the Assembly directed that the request be stepped down for further legislative action by the House.
He then granted the request of members of the committee for more time to carry out their mandate and revert to the house next Wednesday.
They, however, granted the request of the governor to access the N15 billion contract financing facility offered by Fidelity Bank Plc for the uptake of A. A. Kure University of Education, Minna, to meet the funding requirement.
Earlier, the chairman of the Joint Committee on Education and Finance Committee, Mohammed Sani Tafa, representing Tafa constituency, presenting the committee’s report, said the committee, in its findings, was convinced that the loan facility would be beneficial to the people of the state.
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