Lagos PDP, Ambode in war of word over World Bank loan

The Lagos State chapter of Peoples Democratic Party on Sunday berated the Governor, Mr. Akinwunmi Ambode for allegedly obtaining N39.4billion loan from the World Bank in haste.

Lagos State Governor, Akinwunmi Ambode

However, the state government described the allegation as laughable, disclosing that the money that has come into the government’s coffers was at the instance of its predecessors, led by Mr. Babatunde Raji Fashola (SAN).

The PDP, in a statement issued by its Publicity Secretary, Taofik Gani, also urged Ambode to shelve the loan until the previous loans obtained by previous administrations, particularly those of Fashola, were properly scrutinized.

The main opposition party in the state described Ambode “as weak to fight corruption and block leakages” in view of the retention of a tax consulting firm, Alpha Beta, by the government for the state.

The PDP accused the firm of milking the state of its revenue.

Gani declared: “The party’s positions are on the heels of the reports of another World Bank loan and the recent announcement by the governor to scrap the state’s finance and administration department while renaming its administration and human resources department.”

While arguing that “the history of loans in the state is very embarrassing and has plunged the state into local and foreign debts running into a trillion naira,” the PDP queried: “Why indeed will a state still run after World Bank loan when such state realises an average of N27bn naira as monthly internally generated revenue?”

It urged Governor Ambode to have a rethink “and be prudent”.

But the Governor’s spokesman, Abib Haruna laughed off the claim of the opposition party.

Haruna, in a telephone conversation described the PDP in the state as a deluded party.

His words: “I want to say here for the umpteenth time that the PDP in the state is a confused party and has not shown enough maturity in their affairs.

“The party should always do a thorough research before it comes out with their frivolous claims. The administration of Governor Ambode has never taken any loan since coming to office.

“The loan that came into the state recently was an initiative of the previous administration. It is therefore a misnomer, a misjudgment and lack of adequate information that has made the PDP to lay such allegation which they have no facts to substantiate.”