Pan Yoruba socio-political organisation, Afenifere, has called on the National Assembly to henceforth desist from giving approvals to every loan request brought before it by the President Muhammadu Buhari led executive arm of government insisting that it was dangerous to the future of the country.
The socio-political group also cautioned the executive and legislative arms of the government against turning Nigeria into what it described as a ‘perpetual debtor-nation’.
Afenifere’s admonition was contained in a statement titled, ‘High Debt Profile: Afenifere Cautions FG’, which was signed by its National Publicity Secretary, Comrade Jare Ajayi and obtained by Africa Today News, New York on Thursday.
Afenifere spokesman argued that the debts incurred by the administration do not reflect in the quantity and quality of infrastructural developments in the country.
The statement read, ‘Neither was it reflected in the living standard of Nigerians. As a matter of fact, it looks as if the more Nigeria is sinking into the debt dungeon, the more the standard of living goes down. It is apparent that the more money Nigeria earns along with monies being obtained in form of loans and grants, the more the welfare of Nigerians suffer.’
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While alluding to the announced N250 billion to be borrowed from World Bank to solve environmental degradation in the 19 northern states and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Afenifere maintained that states in the southern part of the country deserve attention too ‘when we talk of environmental degradation’.
‘It is a known fact that a lot of places particularly in the South East and South-South have been rendered almost useless by incessant erosion. Such places equally deserve similar attention.
‘Reports have quoted the Coordinator of Nigeria Erosion and Watershed Management Project, Salisu Dahiru, as saying that the project for which the said loan was being sought is ‘to address the issue and challenges of environmental degradation in terms of deforestation, erosion, stormwater management and meeting the needs of the people in terms of food production’.
Ajayi, however, maintained that all the points raised to justify the project equally apply to the south.
AFRICA TODAY NEWS, NEW YORK