Adamawa Assembly Approves N100b Loan For Finitri In Controversial Circumstance

BY AUSTIN AJAYI, YOLA – The Adamawa State House of Assembly last week approved N100b for Governor Fintiri for unspecified purpose.

This is as a member of the House on the platform of All Progressives Congress (APC), Hon. Abdullahi Yarpak, declared that the loan approval did not follow due process and procedure of the House Rules and therefore totally against existing provisions of the law.

The planned approval of the loan for the executive arm of government started to filtered in after the State Executive Council meeting a week before the House approval.

Surprisingly, the House which reconvened in a secret manner witnessed lawmakers accessing the Assembly complex through the back door.

This was as Journalists were barred from covering the proceedings at the controversial House sitting as one of the security men attached to the House pointedly told the newsman that gathered for coverage of the event that they were under strict instructions not allow any Journalists into the premises of the Assembly complex for the coverage of the House sitting.

When contacted, the Clark of the House of Assembly, Mr. Musa Gaude, said that he not aware of any sitting as the staff of the Assembly are on strike over autonomy across the country.

Gaude however said that even though the Assembly workers are strike across the country, legislators are not on strike, thus can sit when the need arises.

It was however gathered that the House session which was presided over by the Deputy Speaker, Hon. Pwamakeno Markendo lasted about an hour during which it approved the request against known parliamentary procedures.

Speaking to Journalists who waited outside the back entrance of the complex after the sitting, the member representing Verei State consistency on the platform of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Hon. Abdullahi Yarpak, who is also the chairman Inter-parliamentary, Labour and Employment of the House said; “The House approved N100b loan but added that he never supported the loan because it did not follow proper procedure and it’s totally against the law.

Yarpak said that Section 70 of the House Standing Rules is clear on the matter, adding that the state government can only apply for N25b loan at a time.

He noted that within a period of two years, the House had approved over N30b for the state government, adding that the total loan approved for the Governor Fintiri-led government is now over N130billion.

Yarpak also said that the purpose of the loan was not stated of known even when the Deputy Speaker read the letter from the Governor, the purpose was not specific.

He said; “I drew their attention of the House to the budget provision but they turned down my advice.

Efforts made to get a response from the executive on the approved loan did not yield effort the chief secretary to the governor only said that the media would be briefed on it even as the opposition APC in the state, declared that it would take a stand on the loan.