The Gombe State chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has accused Governor Muhammadu Inuwa Yahaya-led administration of stockpiling what it described as ‘heedless’ debts on the state.
The Chairman of PDP in Gombe, Major General Audu Kwaskebe (Rtd), in a statement released to the press alleged that All Progressives Congress (APC) administration has borrowed over N100 billion in less than three years in office.
It stated that with the recent loan request of N35 billion and N18.7 billion approved by the state House of Assembly, the state’s debt profile has risen to the tune of over N100 billion, “without corresponding benefits to the state.”
The party expressed concerned on how the APC administration led by Governor Yahaya is “carelessly accruing debts,” saying it would gravely endanger the future of the state.
The PDP vowed that as main opposition party in the state, it would not fold its arms to watch the APC administration mortgaging the future of the state without commensurate achievements.
“We noticed with dismay that Governor Yahaya is micromanaging the affairs of the state. We can’t sit down to watch this clueless administration stockpiling debts in the state without a commensurate achievement on ground,” Gen. Kwaskebe said.
When contacted, the state Commissioner for Information and Culture, Mr Julius Ishaya Lepes, said the PDP doesn’t have record of their baseless claims against the government.
He added that the party has no moral right to accuse the APC of borrowing, considering the PDP’s reckless borrowing which he alleged was also siphoned by the past administration.
“The record is there showing the PDP’s scandalous borrowings which they claimed to spent on bogus white elephant projects, which were also abandoned and never completed.
“However, the APC-led administration has completed most of the abandoned PDP projects and delivered numerous people-oriented projects that positively impacted on lives of Gombe people,” he said.
The commissioner, however, explained that it is not wrong to borrow money, especially if the fund would be use judiciously and in line with fiscal responsibility.
Mr Ishaya Lepes added that the government will soon make available to the public all the financial transactions since the inception of the APC administration.