Niger State Governor, has invited the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission to determine if the Islamic Development Bank has released the money for $181m loan borrowed from the bank by the state as alleged by former governor Babangida Aliyu.
Speaking at the official flag-off of the 2019 Local Government Area election campaign in Minna, the governor insisted that it is only the EFCC that can come in to clear the air about the issue.
Aliyu had accused the government of not utilizing the $181 million IDB loan which had entered into the government’s account after he had left the office.
The former governor stated that the loan was meant for the dualization of the Minna-Bida Road and wondered why the government did not utilise the money for the purpose it was meant for urging the people to demand that the government give an account of the money and the purpose it was expended on.
“I went to Jeddah in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia to seek an interest-free loan to dualise the Minna-Bida Road, but by the time the money came I had left the office.”
In reaction, Bello said, “Based on the allegation on the loan meant for fixing Bida- Minna Road, we did not meet any money in government account when we came into office neither has there been any money of such received by the government.
“For this, we are inviting the EFCC to come and probe this government and the other government to see who is lying between us. But I still say that we did not meet anything in the account. EFCC should come and find out if the money has been released from that time till now.
“The National and State Assembly has approved it but we are yet to receive it. The money has not been released but if Aliyu said it has been released, EFCC should come and investigate who has taken the money.”
