$1bn Eurobond will increase Nigeria’s economic woes – Fayose
The governor, a vocal critic of the President Muhammadu
Buhari’s administration, in a statement by his Chief Press Secretary,
Idowu Adelusi, on Friday challenged the government to clarify the
beneficiaries of the bond, stating whether it would be both the federal
government and the federating units or federal government alone.
Fayose said, “What I’m even worried about and which they must explain to us is that you cannot get a bond without committing it to the source.
“Is the repayment going to be made by direct deductions from
Nigeria’s crude oil sales or from federal government share from the
federation account?
“If it is going to be made directly from proceeds of crude oil accruing to Nigeria as a country, then the bond belongs to the federal, state and local governments and not federal government alone.
“The federal government is just one of the federating units making up Nigeria and revenue accruing to the country cannot be used to repay bond taken by the federal government for its own use alone.
“The federal government must therefore tell Nigerians how it intends to repay the facility from now till 2032. If it is going to be through direct deductions from revenue accruing to Nigeria, such that money would be taken from source which would not be part of the accruers to the central body, it means the $1bn bond belongs to Nigerians and it must be shared among the federating units.
“So, we have to find out and take steps. It is either they bring the money and we share it; we take our percentage and they take theirs. The federal government cannot take that money and take it from source and tell us that the money, which belongs to all of us federating units, is its.”
Fayose accused the government of running the affairs of the country in secrecy, adding “We will definitely go to Court and ask questions.”
The governor also expressed fears that the $1bn Eurobond may plunge the nation into more serious economic woes as its repayment was scheduled to last till 2032.
He said, “The APC government is behaving like the prodigal son who asked for his inheritance and spend it lavishly.
“It is a prodigal government who wants to destroy this country. The rate at which they are taking loans which would keep this country indebted till 2032 is quite unfortunate.
“Currently our currency has been badly devalued to N500 to a Dollar. So, how do we pay back the Dollar? They went to tie the money to the source; the accruers outside the country where crude oil revenue goes.
“Apparently, they don’t care what happens tomorrow. They said they want to use the money to fund 2016, 2017, 2018 budgets which means after they are gone, the country can go into blazes and our children’s children can wallop in indebtedness. How can you appreciate that?
“This rate of borrowing would lead this country into serious challenge. “
At this same time, they are saying we should save for the raining day. I just want our people to know that the APC government is taking us to another side of life, one is to destroy our economy, the other is death.”
Fayose said, “What I’m even worried about and which they must explain to us is that you cannot get a bond without committing it to the source.
“If it is going to be made directly from proceeds of crude oil accruing to Nigeria as a country, then the bond belongs to the federal, state and local governments and not federal government alone.
“The federal government is just one of the federating units making up Nigeria and revenue accruing to the country cannot be used to repay bond taken by the federal government for its own use alone.
“The federal government must therefore tell Nigerians how it intends to repay the facility from now till 2032. If it is going to be through direct deductions from revenue accruing to Nigeria, such that money would be taken from source which would not be part of the accruers to the central body, it means the $1bn bond belongs to Nigerians and it must be shared among the federating units.
“So, we have to find out and take steps. It is either they bring the money and we share it; we take our percentage and they take theirs. The federal government cannot take that money and take it from source and tell us that the money, which belongs to all of us federating units, is its.”
Fayose accused the government of running the affairs of the country in secrecy, adding “We will definitely go to Court and ask questions.”
The governor also expressed fears that the $1bn Eurobond may plunge the nation into more serious economic woes as its repayment was scheduled to last till 2032.
He said, “The APC government is behaving like the prodigal son who asked for his inheritance and spend it lavishly.
“It is a prodigal government who wants to destroy this country. The rate at which they are taking loans which would keep this country indebted till 2032 is quite unfortunate.
“Currently our currency has been badly devalued to N500 to a Dollar. So, how do we pay back the Dollar? They went to tie the money to the source; the accruers outside the country where crude oil revenue goes.
“Apparently, they don’t care what happens tomorrow. They said they want to use the money to fund 2016, 2017, 2018 budgets which means after they are gone, the country can go into blazes and our children’s children can wallop in indebtedness. How can you appreciate that?
“This rate of borrowing would lead this country into serious challenge. “
At this same time, they are saying we should save for the raining day. I just want our people to know that the APC government is taking us to another side of life, one is to destroy our economy, the other is death.”
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