Mixed reactions have continued to trail Delta state governor Ifeanyi Okowa’s new loan request of N13 billion to the state House of Assembly for the building of a state of the arts secretariat. According to the governor, the state is paying so much on rents for state parastals and therefore urged the state house of Assembly to grant him the request for the building of a befitting secretariat for the state.
HardReporters gathered that a letter transmitted to the state house of Assembly by the governor had requested for the approval of N13 billion but this was said not to have gone down well with the lawmakers and they slashed the request to N8 billion following the governor’s incessant request for loans since inception of office.
Cross section of Deltans interviewed on the issue however condemned the incessant loan requests by governor Okowa, adding that its all avenue for the governor to loot the state treasury even as they advised him to channel such loans to the payment of local government workers salaries who are been owed over ten months and primary schools teachers.
The issue which has generated a lot of controversies in the social media, saw some social media advocates questioning the rationale behind the governor’s loan request of N13 billion when the state has about three secretariats adding that in the past two years governor Okowa has succeeded inflicted pains, poverty and hardship on the people.
A respondent who is bittered with the development accused the governor of playing a fast one on the people by using the secretariat to loot the state treasury to the tune of over N8 billion.
“If not that Okowa wants to loot over N8 billion, what is the essence of standing as a surety for a private firm that wants to borrow the said amount from a bank to build another Secretariat. With our debt profile rising to a staggering N240.31 billion, our dear state Governor is borrowing with the approval of the state house of Assembly.
“Indeed, Okowa has come to steal, kill and destroy Delta state. If we therefore do not unanimously agree to put an end to Okowa’s misrule, he will completely destroy Delta State. Okowa has so far been abysmally poor in service delivery. You can prove me wrong though.” he lamented.
Responding to social media backlashes on his boss by Deltans, the principal secretary to the governor, Mr. Hilary Obi Ibegbulem, denied that the state was not borrowing to build an ultra modern secretariat.
“The State isn’t borrowing to build an ultra modern Secretariat. Your source of information is wrong. And for your information, the Secretariat is going to be a World class one. Your problem is Governor Okowa’s outstanding performance. The envy isn’t a surprising one. Your political party isn’t smelling Government house in 2019. Delta is for PDP.” Ibegbulem told one of the respondents.
But when asked about the N13 billion letter of request the governor transmitted to the house that was slashed to N8 billion and the need for another secretariat, the principal secretary ignored the two posers.
Since his swearing in into office, it has become a monthly ritual for governor Okowa as there is no month that passes without transmitting a letter to the state Assembly requesting for loans approvals running into several billions of naira.
Investigation by HardReporters revealed that over 40% of private buildings been occupied and used as government offices are owned by individuals who are government officials.
It would be recalled that during ministerial press briefing last year, the former commissioner for Lands, Survey and Urban Development, Mr. Dan Okenyi had told Journalists that on yearly basis, the state government pay over N600 million for rent.
