Niger State government has cleared the air on the controversy surrendering the $181 million Islamic Development Bank (IDB).
It said though all formalities towards securing the loan had been concluded, but government was yet to accessed the money.
Contrary to claim by the former governor, Dr. Muazu Babangida Aliyu that he sought for and got approval while in office, Governor Sani Bello said the money did not hit the government account before he left office.
In a statement in Minna, yesterday, Chief Press Secretary to the governor, Mary Noel Berge, said it was actually Governor Bello who sought for the loan from the IDB after securing the nod of the National Assembly.
According to the statement, the request for the loan was only transmitted on July 26, 2017 but the request was not granted until May this year, stressing that “the process of securing the loan has been completed at the National Assembly.
The former governor had during PDP rally in Minna on Saturday told party supporters that he secured the approval for the said loan but the physical money was given to his successor after he left office.
The governor’s aide, however, assured that the state government was in the process of securing the loan to dualise Minna-Bida road, adding that the project will start immediately the money hit the state’s account.