John Shiklam in Kaduna
Following the rejection of Kaduna State’s $350 million World Bank loan request by the Senate, some members of the House of Representatives from the state have dissociated themselves from recent statements credited to one of their colleagues castigating the Senate for its action.
The lawmakers also dismissed claims that 15 out of the 16 of their colleagues from Kaduna State in the lower chamber approved the loan request.
Hon. Datti Babawo, who claimed to be the leader of the Kaduna caucus in the lower chamber, had on Tuesday condemned the Senate for rejecting the loan request, claiming that 15 out of the 16 members of the House from the state approved the loan request.
But in a statement on Thursday in Kaduna, six of the lawmakers dissociated themselves from the statement, saying the lawmakers from Kaduna State never at any given time met to discuss the $350 million loan, let alone took a decision on it.
The statement was signed by, Hon. Jagaba Adams Jagaba, Hon. Gideon Lucas Gwani, Hon. Simon, Hon. Yakubu Arabo, Hon. Nicholas Shehu Garba, Hon. Sunday Marshall Katung and Hon. Muhammad Musa Soba.
According to the statement, “Our attention has been drawn to stories making the rounds in some national dailies, television and social media, alleging that fifteen (15) members of the House of Representatives from Kaduna State have faulted the Senate’s disapproval of a $350m World Bank loan requested by the Kaduna State government.
“The news said that the leader of the Kaduna State House of Reps Caucus, Hon. Datti Babawo (representing Sabon Gari Federal Constituency, Kaduna State), stated that all the fifteen (15) members out of sixteen (16) actually approved the $350m loan for the state because of the enormous benefits the state would derive from it.”
Details later…
