#TrackNigeria – The former Governor of Bauchi State, M.A. Abubakar has debunked claims that his government N137bn debt to his successor, Governor Bala Mohammed.
Speaking through a statement by his media adviser, Ali M. Ali, the former
governor said his government did not take a single commercial loan.Rather ,
there were “intervention loans from the
federal government that totaled N34.6b.These were concessionary loans by the
federal government to,especially states,with heavy financial burden and lean
purse.All states were beneficiaries except Lagos and Akwa Ibom states.
“For example the government
benefitted from Bailout loan of N8.6 billion; Infrastructure Loan-
N10billion; CBN CACS Loan – N8 billion and Budget Support Facility loam –
N8billion.Collectively these totalled N34.6billion”the statement said.
The former governor disclosed that
his government actually left N11.6billion in the state coffers.
The text of M.A. Abubakar’s statement signed by his media aide reads thus: “Our attention has been drawn to a factually incorrect statement attributed to Senator Adamu Gumba,Chairman of the Transition Committee that the immediate government past administration of MA Abubakar (esq) bequeathed a debt profile of N137billion.
“He also revealed that the previous government inherited N98billion from the former government of Malam Isa Yuguda in 2015.
“He finally concluded that the out gone government left behind N41billion debt.
“This is incorrect,factually so.
“Throughout the four year tenure of the former leader,the government didn’t take a single commercial loan. We however,acknowledge the receipts of various intervention loans from the federal government that totaled N34.6b.These were concessionary loans by the federal government to,especially states,with heavy financial burden and lean purse.All states were beneficiaries except Lagos and Akwa Ibom states.
“For example the government benefitted from Bailout loan of N8.6 billion; Infrastructure Loan- N10billion; CBN CACS Loan – N8 billion and Budget Support Facility loam – N8billion.Collectively these totalled N34.6billion.
“It should be noted again,that all the listed loans were given to all the states across the federation except the listed two.Under the leadership of Abubakar ,the loans were used for the purposes they were meant for.As a matter of fact ,the state government under MA Abubakar left N11.6billion in the state government Account being refund of projects undertaken on behalf of the Federal Government in the state .Before its tenure ended on May 29th,the government of Abubakar ensured that the refund was effected despite the machinations of detractors,some of whom,are very visible now.
“At no time was the government of MA Abubakar a spendthrift or engaged in frivolities in the management of very lean resources.”
