No to reckless borrowings, SMBLF tells FG

Southern and Middle-Belt Leaders Forum (SMBLF) has totally kicked against what it called the continuous external debt of the country which has risen to over $80 billion in just few years, urging the Muhammadu Buhari-led Federal Government to rescind its ongoing effort to borrow more money to the tune of over $27billion as approved by the National Assembly.

SMBLF also expressed concern over the recent Coronavirus pandemic, urging the Federal Government to redouble on the on-going efforts to protect lives of Nigerians over this plague which had befallen the world.

The Forum gave its opposition to further borrowing in a communiqué titled: ‘No to Reckless Borrowings,’ issued at the end of its meeting held last Thursday in Abuja, the Federal Capital, and chaired Chief Edwin Clark.

In the communiqué, which was signed by Chief Clark as chairman of the forum; Chief Ayo Adebanjo​ as co-chairman and leader of Afenifere; Chief Nnia Nwodo, President, Ohaneze Ndigbo; Air Commodore Idongesit Nkanga (rtd), National Chairman, PANDEF; Dr Pogu Bitrus, President, Middle Belt Forum and Mr Yinka Odumakin, secretary, the leaders asserted that but for bad governance, the country would have no business engaging in these “recklessness to fund overhead and theft.”

This was just as the leaders, while also expressing grave concern over the deteriorating state of the nation in particular as it pertains to the continued assault on peace and security leading to the continuous loss of countless lives of Nigerians on daily basis, commended members of the Nigerian Armed Forces in the field for the gallantry which they had continued to show under very difficult situations.

According to the communiqué, the forum “rejects in total the continuous external debt of the country which has risen to over $80 billion in just few years and, therefore, asks the Federal Government to rescind its ongoing effort to borrow more money to the tune of over $27 billion as approved by the National Assembly.

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“It asserts that if not for bad governance, Nigeria would have no business engaging in this recklessness to fund overhead and theft.”

Besides, the communiqué also indicated that “the meeting rejects the lopsided allocation of the proceeds of the huge latest external borrowing plan where the South-East of the country is totally excluded.

“The feeders reject the continued lopsided appointments within the Federal Government where only certain sections of the country are given priority over others as against the extant constitutional provisions.”

Expressing grave concern over the deteriorating state of the nation which had led to countless deaths on daily basis, SMBLF reminded the Federal Government that its primary responsibility under the laws of the country is to protect the lives and properties of Nigerians.

The leaders said they expected the Federal Government to give full attention to this matter of security in the country while commending members of the Nigerian Armed Forces for their gallantry in the field, a feat they said the men had continued to show under very difficult situations.

They, therefore, called “on the people of the North East, the area most affected by the insurgency to continue to support the members of the Armed Forces in their noble national service.”

On Operation Amotekun, the leaders again congratulated the South-West for the initiative, noting “with satisfaction the robust plans being made in the Middle-Belt, South-East and the South-South to take similar steps.”