PDP governorship candidate kicks over moves by C’River govt to access N35bn loan, tells bank to steer clear

From Judex Okoro, Calabar

The Cross River Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) governorship candidate for 2023 election, Prof Sandy Onor, has kicked against moves by Governor Ben Ayade to collect N35 billion loan from commercial banks a few months away to the end of his tenure.

Speaking in a post-primary election parley with journalists in Calabar at the weekend, Prof Onor, who is a Senator representing central senatorial district, warned banks not to contribute to plunging the state into further debt.

He said the state is sliding into economic abyss and only PDP-led government in 2023 would rescue Cross Riverians, maitaining that reports of plans to borrow an additional N35bn bi from financial institutions is not acceptible.

According to him, it is high time we reclaimed the state from leadership that have no values for the lives of the people.

He said: “We, therefore, need to reclaim the state from people who have no values for our lives and are making plans to borrow another N35 billion with only a few months left to end their tenure.

“As at March this year, the debt profile of the state stood at $279 million yet the outgoing government is allegedly conniving with the assembly to borrow this whopping sum just to put a final nail to the coffin before they leave.

“Banks in and outside the country have been warned against granting more loans to the Cross River State government. There cannot be another way to show how wicked a government can be towards it’s people.

“In any case, in the eyes of the law, there is no House of Assembly in Cross River State and anything that carries the imprimatur of the assembly is null and void.

“This should serve as a warning to financial institutions in and outside Nigeria not to grant any loan in what ever form to the current government as they will be doing so at a very high risk.

“Until the court pronounces otherwise, the House of Assembly as presently constituted cannot enact legally binding resolutions and laws”, Prof Onor stated.

He also faulted the plan to conduct local government elections in the state on May 24, 2023, four days to the end of the present administration.