Sokoto Denies Taking Loan to Execute Projects

Onuminya Innocent in Sokoto

The Governor of Sokoto State,  Ahmed Aliyu, has denied taking any foreign loan to executive developmental projects in the state.

He made this known while reacting to a BBC Hausa Service report aired  yesterday in which Sokoto was listed among the Northern States that have taken loan to execute developmental projects.

In a statement issued by his Chief Press Secretary (CPS) Abubakar Bawa, the governor expressed dismay over the inclusion of Sokoto State among the Northern states in the loan issue said his administration has never received any loan from anybody from within or outside the country.

“Let me make it categorically clear that I have never taken any loan from anybody since we came on board.

“I was shocked when I heard my state being listed among the northern states that have collected foreign loan in order to develop their states.

“The BBC report was indeed misleading, and I expect them to verify the information they claimed to have gotten from the Debt Management  Office  before going on air.

“I challenge any individual or body that has any record where we applied or received any foreign or local loans to produce the document.

“You can’t take loan without following certain procedures including seeking approval from your State lawmakers, in our case there is nothing like that,” he declared.

The governor further said that all the projects he has  executed across the length and breadth of the State were funded through the monthly allocation from the federation account or the money realized from State internally generated revenue.

“For now, we don’t need any loan before we execute projects because we are managing the little resources of the State very well,” he said.

The BBC Hausa service earlier on Monday reported that Sokoto State government is among the Northern States that have taken foreign loans to execute developmental projects.

It was wrongly reported that the present administration has taken a foreign loan amounting to $489 million   to execute projects across the State.