Kogi, APC at war over proposed N2bn loan

The plan by the Kogi State Government to borrow N2bn to finance its counterpart payment for Universal Basic Education projects in the state on Monday further pitted the government against the opposition.

The State Executive Council at a meeting chaired by the Deputy Governor of the state, Mr. Yomi Awoniyi, had approved the payment of the state counterpart fund to the Universal Basic Education Commission to enable the government to access its backlog of UBE funds for 2013, 2014 and 2015.

The state Commissioner for Information, Hajiya Zainab Okino, said the approval followed a memo by the Commissioner for Finance and Economic Development, Mr. Zakari Alfa, in respect of an offer to support the state government to access the accumulated three years UBE funds to enable the state to meet all outstanding obligations and fast-track the development of primary education in the state.

According to her, the Executive Council noted that since the UBE Commission was established to oversee primary education in 1999, funding of primary education became a joint responsibility of the state and federal governments with both tiers of government providing equal shares as counterpart fund yearly.

She noted that the law provides that states must contribute their share of the fund in every fiscal year before they can access the balance from the UBE Commission, adding that Kogi State had yet to access the fund since 2013.

Okino said, “The Executive Council directed the Commissioner for Finance and Economic Development to conclude all negotiations that will lead to the financing agreement of the counterpart fund to enable the state to access the accumulated UBE fund while the State Governor, Captain Idris Wada, is to convey the decision of the Executive Council to the State House Assembly for concurrent resolution.”

But the Executive Director, Centre for Human Rights and Conflict Resolution, Mr. Miliki Idris, and the Kogi State APC Chairman, Mr. Haddy Ametuo, kicked against the loan.

Idris said the timing of the loan was suspicious. He called on the residents of the state to reject the loan.