Governor Adams Oshiomhole of Edo state on Monday said the the Federal Government led by the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) for 16 years borrowed money on behalf of Nigeria only to loot the nation’s treasury.
The governor who was quoting Nigeria’s President, Muhammadu Buhari said this while speaking with journalist in Benin, Edo state capital.
“You heard President Buhari saying last week that after they finished looting the treasury, they even borrowed to loot. You heard the President say that they took a loan from China and they already had taken $600 million from the loan. By now if they were still there, there would have finished the rest.
“In the South-South zone, look at the debt profile, Edo is the least borrowed. The only major loan we have taken since I assumed office was a N25 billion bond out of which we have paid over N20 billion because we are paying N530 million every month.
“As we speak, we have only about N5 billion left of that loan which will be liquidated before the end of this tenure. You heard of bail out. Find out what PDP states are borrowing under the bail out plan, not for development but to pay salaries. But Edo State Government is up-to-date with salaries without bail out. You need to interrogate facts and not report these people as if they are responsible people because when you do that, people don’t know the difference between mischief makers and responsible people,” he said, adding that the PDP should “simply shut up because they destroyed everything.”
“You read in the papers how much our neighboring states are borrowing? You heard of N20billion, N30 billion under two months. To do what, To settle the invisibles. You hear them talking about N14.5 billion. We are not borrowing to pay salaries, we are able to do that in spite of the massive looting by the PDP. I appeal to the media because you are victims and you must interrogate these thieves when they break the highway rules and want to divert you. When you ask questions, they say you want to witch hunt. Why won’t you witch hunt when the witches are killing people in the village.
“For me, the only regret I have is that somehow, these rogues can seemingly eat their cake and yours and go out to complain that the cake is missing when it is in their stomach. I also need you to consult the Word Bank to look at the statement they issued that Edo is the second State, Lagos being the first; that these two states have shown sufficient reforms, transparency, accountability in Internally Generated Revenue and reforming the public policy to ensure value for money.
