Free education: Ganduje seeks lawmakers’ approval to borrow N15bn

KANO State governor, Dr Abdullahi Umar Ganduje, in his determination to provide qualitative education for children in the state , has sought the approval of the state House of Assembly to borrow a sum of N15 billion from the Guaranty Trust Bank to fund his administration’s free education policy.

If the loan is approved, he said, each of the 44 local governments will receive N340 million to sustain the free and compulsory education policy across the state.

Disclosing this to lawmakers, the speaker of the assembly, Abdulazeez Garba-Gafasa, on Monday read a letter sent by the governor seeking the lawmakers’ consent to secure the loan.

The letter stated that the decision to access the loan was to enable the local governments ensure the success of the state’s free and compulsory education policy.

The speaker noted that the loan would be repaid within a period of 30 months at 15 per cent interest rate. He further informed the assembly that the loan would be deducted from the local governments’ monthly federal allocations.

After reading the letter, the speaker presented it to the House Committee on Local Governments, saying the committee would be supervised by the deputy majority leader, Kabiru Hassan-Dashi.

It was, however, unanimously agreed that the committee should present its report on the request to the assembly after two days.