The Edo State Governor, Comrade Adams Oshiomhole, has revealed how a former Governor of the state, Lucky Igbinedion diverted N4 billion bank loan to a private account in Lagos.
The outgoing governor made the revelation while responding to a statement credited to the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, governorship candidate, Pastor Osagie Ize-Iyamu, where he said that the report by the Debt Management Office showing that the state is one of those heavily indebted revealed that he ( Oshiomhole) lied of not collecting a foreign loan.
But the governor in a statement by his Chief Press Secretary, Mr Peter Okhiria maintained that his admunistration runs an open door policy, stressing that the records are there for all to see, alleging that the state has a record of how the the PDP leadership under former Governor, Igbenidion diverted N4 billion borrowed on behalf of the state to an account in Lagos.
The statement reads, “We make bold to state, and the facts are clear, that in spite of earning the highest revenues from the Federation Account, the PDP states in the South-South region are the most indebted in the region and not Edo State.
“The domestic debt profile released by the DMO as at December 31, 2015, the last time it was issued, lists Delta State as having a debt profile of N320,605 billion; Akwa Ibom had N147,575 billion; Cross River: N115,522 billion; Rivers, N134,9566 billion; Bayelsa N103,374 billion as against Edo which had a far lower profile. While the other South-South PDP States have continued to amass domestic debts with high-interest rates, Edo is close to completely liquidating its domestic debt.
“While Ize-Iyamu continues to peddle his falsehood, we have the record of the N4 billion borrowed by the PDP government of Mr Lucky Igbinedion, with the knowledge of Osagie Ize-Iyamu as Secretary to State Government from Guaranty Trust Bank and Equitorial Trust Bank and paid to an address in Lagos.
“Edo people are not deceived. They know that the PDP and its sympathisers have a record of borrowing to steal and not the APC government led by Comrade Adams Oshiomhole.
“Our records are open and we run a transparent government. No amount of planted or concocted stories by hack writers will distort the facts.”
Source: Dailypost
