Poor governance: Katsina APC led Govt is a failure, incurred N77.7bn as loan – PDP
Peoples’ Democratic Party, PDP, Katsina State Chapter has described the All Progressive Congress, APC government led by Governor Aminu Bello Masari, as a total failure, accusing it of mortgaging the future of the state with N77.7 billion debt incurred through loans.
The party claimed the N77.7 billion loan was in addition to the over N328 billion allocations received by the state with nothing on ground to show for it. However, efforts to reach the APC leadership for comments, proved abortive as at the time of this report. Calls put across to the Chairman, Shittu S. Shittu’s mobile phone, did not go through.
APC & PDP Similarly, his Secretary, Muh’d Sani’s mobile phone, though went through, but no response. Even text message sent to him was not responded to. Meanwhile, State Chairman of the PDP, Alhaji Salisu Majigiri, spoke during the inauguration of four of its committees as part of strategies aimed at taking over government from APC in 2019.
The committees are the Katsina PDP State Caucus Committee, Elders’ Committee, Reconciliation Committee and Disciplinary Committee. According to Majigiri, “We are very ready to take over in 2019. We are strategizing. We are trying to see that our take over is not like that of the APC which just took over government without planning, arrangement and without knowing where to go or direction.
APC have failed completely, especially in Katsina State. They are only good in taking loans. They have collected over N328 billion as allocation to the state and N77.7 billion as loans since 2015. Sum it together, it is over N400 billion. What it means is that if we are to repay the loans in three years, every citizen of Katsina including those unborn will have to pay N7,000 each. “We are not going forward in Katsina. We are going backward. Look at what happened during the so-called 30th anniversary celebration of the state. While Akwa-Ibom State (also created in 1987) was busy commissioning new projects, Katsina was busy calling local musicians to come and dance.
They did not commission a single project even if it is worth N10,000. Do you have any project worth N1 billion that is ready for commissioning in Katsina State? Show me project that Masari can confidently invite President Muhammadu Buhari to come and commission.
But so far, they have collected a total of about N400 billion from the Federation Account, including the loans. “Where is the money? That is why I say that we are going backwards. We were competing with Akwa-Ibom state when we were in power here but now that state is ahead of us.” “During its 30th anniversary celebration, Akwa-Ibom was busy commissioning projects but Masari was busy buying goats and giving them out as loan to people who are hungry. We cannot explain the idea behind giving people goats.
Perhaps they will sell the goats to buy food. “When we return to power in 2019, we are going to restore so many things that this government has destroyed. We are going to restore the payment of WAEC and NECO fees and other national examinations, for our students. We are going to restore free education, by the grace of God,” Majigiri said. Vanguard
