A human rights group led by Deji Adeyanju, Concerned Nigerians, has charged the Federal Government and the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission to stop the Governor of Imo State, Hope Uzodinma, from taking more loans.
According to Adeyanju, Uzodinma has taken too many loans under the pretence of paying the local government workers and pensioners which he never did.
The group further stated that the house of assembly in the state has granted Uzodinma government the approval to borrow N8.9 billion from Fidelity Bank and other numerous requests in 2021 alone.
The Governor has been condemned by the group for being unable to account for the borrowed funds.
The statement read ”This was barely three months after the State House of Assembly also approved the request of the Hope Uzodinma led administration to borrow N7.5 billion to purchase vehicles for public officers, even as the government owes civil servants and pensioners arrears over eight months.
“Also, in the year 2020, the Imo state government announced that it had commenced discussion with the Central Bank of Nigeria, CBN, for a loan of N52 billion to be channelled into Adapalm plantation. Currently, Imo state’s debt profile is over N100 billion.
”We have also been reliably informed that Hope Uzodinma led government is planning on borrowing an additional loan of N15 billion naira from Zenith Bank for payment of salaries, gratuities and pension of Local government workers. The plan is to take N256m in each 27 local government names. This is going to be the 6th of such unaccounted loan requests since he became governor. We condemn this move and we enjoin the Federal Government and the EFCC to halt this reckless loan acquisition by the government of Imo State”
Adeyanju charged the Governor to improve the Internal Generated Revenue of the state and the living standard of the Imo people.
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