APC, PDP Disagree On Delta’s Debt Burden

BY FELIX IGBEKOYI, Asaba

All Progressives Congress (APC) Delta State has faulted the recent claim by Governor Sheriff Oborevwori’s administration that the state’s debt burden had been drastically reduced by over 40 percent in the past one year.

The executive assistant to Governor Oborevwori on communications, Barr Fred Latimore Oghenesivbe, had disclosed this during a radio programme in Lagos.

But the APC described the claim as misleading and intended to deceive the people of Delta State.

Oghenesivbe had claimed that the governor  reduced the state’s debt by more than N180 billion and saved over N205 billion through prudent management.

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But disclaiming it, publicity secretary of the APC in Delta State, Barr. Valentine Onojeghuo, described the claim as “a pack of lies” meant to placate Deltans who are increasingly concerned about the state’s financial situation.

Onojeghuo in a statement issued at the weekend entitled, ‘Delta State: A Tale Of Misgovernance  And Deceit’ said, “The dubious claims of the Delta state government and its officials that Gov. Sheriff Oborevwori’s administration has reduced the debt profile of the state from over #500 billion to about #370 billion as a laudable achievement is the most shameful lie ever paddled by any stretch of imagination.

“It is not a secret that Delta State is one of the states with the highest FAAC allocations and IGR, but with nothing meaningful to show for it in the last 20 years of PDP misrule.

“In the first place, the state got to this unenviable position of being the most heavily indebted state during the administration of Dr. Ifeanyi Okowa, the grandfather of the ‘prosperity for all’ deception, where billions of naira were collected in dubious loans approved by the State House of Assembly under Sheriff Oborevwori as speaker.

“This ugly trend continued up to the very last days of the Okowa government and the majority of these questionable loans were borrowed from a bank he is alleged to have vested interests.”