Anambra State House of Assembly last Tuesday approved Governor Willie Obiano’s request to access the federal government’s loan facility to the 36 states of the federation.
The approval followed a letter the governor wrote to the legislature seeking their consent and approval.
The Speaker of the state Assembly, Rt. Hon. Uche Okafor, who read the letter during plenary, put the request to a voice vote where the majority of the lawmakers consented.
However, some of the lawmakers who spoke with journalists shortly after the plenary, maintained that in as much as they were not against such facility, further efforts would have been made to the state in clear-cut terms, the expenditure framework for the said loan
Noble Igwe who represents Ogbaru 1 State Constituency, said the legislature required more briefing from the executive as to what the loan would be used for.
Also, Douglas Nwachukwu Egbuna who represents Onitsha-North 1 State Constituency said although the legislature has consented to it, he was not in support of the loan unless the House is furnished with specifics of disbursements and deployments concerning the said loan.
The lawmaker representing Oyi state constituency Hon. Charles Chinedu Obima, demanded detailed information as to the real reason for the federal government loan. Obima said the loan wasn’t a bad decision but the nitty-gritty of it would have been explained.
Furthermore, Nonso Smart Okafor representing the Nnewi-North state constituency, who doubles as the Deputy Chairman of Finance and Appropriation, said it is incumbent on the executive arm to provide more details as to why Anambra state is accessing the loan.
Okafor said lawmakers should be properly briefed as to why it is consequential that the loan should be taken so they can explain to their constituents if the need arises, adding that lawmakers seek to know if their respective communities and constituencies were reasons for the over 18 billion naira federal government loan facilities.
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