The All Progressives Congress in Ondo State has urged banks
and the Federal Government not to grant any loan to the
government of Governor Olusegun Mimiko.
The party said this in a statement by its Publicity Secretary,
Omo’ba Abayomi Adesanya, on Thursday.
It also asked Mimiko to give account of all allocations that
had accrued to the state since the inception of his
administration more than six years ago.
The APC also challenged the state government to explain to
the people of Ondo State why he should be granted a N7bn
loan from Access Bank when he has yet to fully offset the over
N70bn debt formally incurred.
The party cautioned the Federal Government and the bank on
the danger of approving such loan for Mimiko. The APC further
explained that projects executed under Mimiko’s watch could
not justify the N44bn his administration inherited and the
huge allocations he had received since 2009 when he took
over the reins of government.
The statement read, “The approval of this loan will create
pitfalls and drawbacks for the incoming administration. This is
similar to what President Muhammadu Buhari inherited from
his predecessor, Dr. Goodluck Jonathan. Mimiko was only
planning to spread banana peels on the way to prevent his
successor succeeding.
“The good people of Ondo State must ask Mimiko why the
state should borrow more money when he could not properly
manage previous loans, account for inherited state treasury
and offset outstanding loans and indebtedness.”
The APC said Mimiko’s government when inaugurated
promised to turn Akure, the state capital, to a “small London”
and that the Oyemekun/Oba-Adesida Road would be
converted to a six-lane dual carriage way.
It noted that houses and shops were demolished while project
were awarded for N3.2bn, but residents were shocked that the
contractor ended up only “replacing street lights and road
dividers.”
“We, therefore, urge the Federal Government and the bank
involved not to grant the loan to this government and we are
also calling on the lawmakers, who are representatives of the
masses, to invite the governor for explanation on how he has
been spending the state’s allocations for the past six years,”
the statement added.