Rubber Stamp Assembly: Taraba Lawmakers Approve More Loans For Gov. Ishaku

·         Jack Proposed Spending by N3bn

·         Residents Sas Excessive  Loans Time Bomb, Trap For Next Governor 

 

 The Taraba State House of Assembly has passed the 2022 appropriation bill of the state into Law,  allowing   Governor  Darius Dickson Ishaku to borrow about 17.5 billion loan next year.

Many residents have criticized the raising spate of loans collected under the Ishaku's Administration lamenting  that developments in the state is not corresponding with the several loans facilities accessed by the governor in the last six years.  

Members of the Assembly had unanimously passed the appropriation bill into law in a voice vote despite public outcry on the increasing debt profile of the state.

The Governor while presenting a budget estimate of N146,781,653,671.82 billion for year 2022, said that his administration accessed over N12 billion loans this year.

The lawmakers however jacked up the budget with N3 billion, passing the total of  N149,784,896,396.82 as the state spending for 2022.

The additional N3 billion was added to the Capital expenditure which now stands at N71,712,308,716.92 billion as against the proposed N68,709,65,991.92 billion by the executive.

Speaking after a unanimous affirmation by the lawmakers for the bill to scale the third reading, the speaker of the house, Joseph Albasu Kunini  said the additional N3billion added to the 2022 fiscal year spending was based on the review of the 2021 budget performance and the addition was for more allocation to areas where priority projects are being carried out.

 Several residents who spoked to Taraba Truth and Facts Newspaper believed the state lawmakers should have question the Executive to explain the rationale behind taking more loans in the new year.

"We are surprised that the Assembly passed the budget because the people are really worried about the loans being collected by this administration, it's a time bomb and trap for who becomes the next governor, this administration is piling up loans for the unborn generation and there is nothing to compliment it. Look at the various road projects abandoned across the state yet the government took N12 billion loan in 2020 alone, what was the money used for ? the Lawmakers should have asked questions before allowing the Governor to access another loan in 2022,"  Julius Adi said in Jalingo.  

A policy expert, Yakubu Yohanna said the government should focus on reducing the state debt burden rather than taking more loans in the new year.

 "This government is winding up next year so this administration will not pay these loans but will further take more loans and the Assembly has been reduced to a rubber stamp for passing the budget that clearly states that Governor Ishaku will take more loans, they have worked against the people who elected them. The people are tired of government taking loans without corresponding developments, despite all the loans taken earlier by Governor Ishaku, where are the infrastructures, gratuity is not paid, so what are these loans being used for? It's a shame Taraba Assembly will allow this governor takes more loan in the new year,"  Yohanna said.