$350m loan: Blackmail won’t stop Kaduna’s development, says govt

The Kaduna State Government has said regardless of the rejection
of its $350m loan application by the Senate, the state, under
Governor Nasir el-Rufai, will not compromise its development.

The Senate had on Thursday rejected the state government’s
request, saying it would worsen the debt profile of the state.

The rejection was based on the recommendation of the Senate
Committee on Local and Foreign Debt and the three senators from the
state.

But while addressing journalists on Friday at the Sir Kashim
Ibrahim House, the state Commissioner for Finance, Suleiman
Abdul-Kwari, noted that there was still hope of obtaining the loan
from the World Bank.

The commissioner explained that there were processes to be
concluded at the National Assembly over the loan, including a vote
for or against the request by each lawmaker before final rejection
or acceptance of the loan.

“No matter the blackmail, the government will move on with the
development agenda of Kaduna State,” Abdul-Kwari said.

The commissioner explained that the el-Rufai administration
planned to deploy part of the loan to equip schools in the
state.

He said, “The loan, if obtained, will be used to build community
roads, primary schools, secondary schools, health centres, and the
economy of such communities will improve as other social activities
will take place there.”

The Kaduna State Government has said regardless of the rejection
of its $350m loan application by the Senate, the state, under
Governor Nasir el-Rufai, will not compromise its
development.

The Senate had on Thursday rejected the state government’s
request, saying it would worsen the debt profile of the state.

The rejection was based on the recommendation of the Senate
Committee on Local and Foreign Debt and the three senators from the
state.

But while addressing journalists on Friday at the Sir Kashim
Ibrahim House, the state Commissioner for Finance, Suleiman
Abdul-Kwari, noted that there was still hope of obtaining the loan
from the World Bank.

The commissioner explained that there were processes to be
concluded at the National Assembly over the loan, including a vote
for or against the request by each lawmaker before final rejection
or acceptance of the loan.

“No matter the blackmail, the government will move on with the
development agenda of Kaduna State,” Abdul-Kwari said.

The commissioner explained that the el-Rufai administration
planned to deploy part of the loan to equip schools in the
state.

He said, “The loan, if obtained, will be used to build community
roads, primary schools, secondary schools, health centres, and the
economy of such communities will improve as other social activities
will take place there.”