Finance Minister, Adeosun Lied on Airport Remodelling, Says PDP

Onyebuchi Ezigbo in Abuja

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has taken a swipe at the Minister of Finance, Ms. Kemi Adeosun for denying that Nigeria has paid its own part of the Airport Terminal counterpart funding of $100 million.

The party said contrary to the statement credited to the minister who spoke in a television programme on Tuesday, the federal government under former President Goodluck Jonathan awarded a contract for the remodelling and building of international airport terminals in Lagos, Abuja, Port Harcourt, Kano and Enugu on a ‘Built, Operate and Transfer’ (BOT) basis, financed by Chinese EXIM Bank but with counterpart funds from Nigeria.

In a statement issued wednesday by the PDP National Publicity Secretary, Prince Dayo Adeyeye, he described Adesun’s statement as just one of the many lies consistently peddled by the All Progressives Congress (APC) disregarding and denying all the obvious achievements of the 16 years of PDP era and collective successes of Nigerians

“Once again, our attention has been drawn to a statement made by the Minister of Finance, Ms. Kemi Adeosun, during the Channels Television Live Programme, ‘Sunrise Daily’ of Tuesday, in which she stated that, ‘Nigeria has not paid the airport terminal counterpart funding of $100 million….’

“This information like many of her previous statements is: false, misleading, malicious and was deliberately made with the intention of blackmailing previous PDP led administration which have been the hallmark of the APC government.

“We are pained that the APC under Buhari is bent on sacrificing our hard earned democracy on the slab of falsehood by consistently disregarding and denying all the obvious achievements of the 16 years of PDP era and collective successes of Nigerians. Why is that?

“You will recall that the former President, Dr. Goodluck Ebele Jonathan, in 2014, awarded the contract of remodelling and building of international airport terminals in Lagos, Abuja, Port Harcourt, Kano and Enugu on a BOT basis, financed by Chinese EXIM Bank with counterpart funds from Nigeria. The contract total sum was $500 million with counterpart funding of $100 million from Nigeria.

“The fact of the matter is that, Nigeria paid her own sum of $100 million on the 29th of January 2014 through the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) at the beginning of the projects.

“You will also recall that the Permanent Secretary, Federal Ministry of Aviation, Hajiya Binta Bello, corroborated our position during her interview with THISDAY Newspaper on September 14, 2015, where she stated: ‘Finance was not an impediment, and Nigeria government counterpart funding of $100 million has been paid at the commencement of the projects.’

She went further to assert that the projects would be completed and delivered at the first quarter of 2016.

“In the light of the above, the claim by the Minister of Finance, Kemi Adeosun is not only standing the truth on its head but depicting the habitual lies and deceit the APC is known for.
“For the record, the previous PDP government entered into an agreement with the Chinese government to construct terminals in five airports, and in January 2014, the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) wrote the Debt Management Office informing them of effecting the Payment of $100Million to the Chinese Firm, CECC which was remitted as directed by the CBN. In another thought, could it be that this needless confusion from the Minister regarding the already Paid Fund is to represent the Voucher again for payment?

“It is however unfortunate that a minister that is expected to know better on this matter would deliberately deceive the public in order to continue scoring cheap political points.

“To this end, we want to further advice the APC-led administration to concentrate on governance and stop deceiving Nigerians with their constant lies. What the people of this country need in this period of harsh economic recession is not meaningless and misguided lamentations from a government of the so called “Change” but good governance demonstrated by at least providing food on their table.