Terrorism: Jonathan’s $1bn loan request dubious, says APC

The All Progressives Congress has described the request by President Goodluck Jonathan for a loan of $1bn as dubious.

The party added that had Jonathan accounted for the $20bn oil fund which was allegedly stolen, he would not be urging the National Assembly to approve a loan to fight insurgency.

The party said in a statement by its National Publicity Secretary, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, on Sunday, that as long as corruption persisted, even if the money was approved, it would not be put to good use. The APC said that was why despite the N968.127bn that had been budgeted for security, Jonathan was still asking for more.

The party subsequently urged the National Assembly not to approve the loan as it would not be used in rescuing the over 200 schoolgirls that were abducted in Chibok area of Borno State over three months ago.

The party said it was surprised that the PDP-led Federal Government had spent billions of naira bribing lawmakers to oust APC governors and still had the nerve to ask for a loan.

The statement read in part, “The only reason the schoolgirls have remained in captivity is the sheer cluelessness and incompetence on the part of the Jonathan administration, which waited for over 19 days before even admitting that the girls were kidnapped in the first instance.

“Therefore, putting more money in the hands of an incompetent and massively corrupt administration can only encourage more incompetence and corruption. That is why we are asking the National Assembly to put national interest above all other considerations by taking a dispassionate, non-partisan look at the President’s request.

“The National Assembly must summon security and military chiefs to explain how the huge funds allocated to the security sector in the past has been spent before more funds can be pumped into the sector. “They must be asked what happened to the military equipment said to have been procured in recent years.

“They must also inquire from the administration why it should be borrowing $1bn when it has yet to account for the missing $20bn oil money, plug the daily stealing of 300,000 barrels per day and unravel the massive frauds that have hallmarked the tenure of this administration. If after all the scrutiny, the National Assembly still feels it must approve the loan, so be it.”

The party also reminded Nigerians that the Nigerian Civil War, which lasted three years, was prosecuted by the government without resorting to any external borrowing, due to competent and transparent management of the nation’s economy.