GOVERNOR Gboyega Oyetola of Osun State has revealed that the state government under his watch has not at any point or the other borrowed money to run its affairs.
Oyetola made this known in an interview with an online news platform monitored by our reporter where he said that despite inheriting about N170 billion debt, he has been building infrastructure, paying workers salaries without adding to the debt profile.
He said: “Debt, ordinarily is something that happens one way or the other because we don’t have all resources to do what we want to do. So, debt is not a curse. What is important is to ensure that whatever debt is incurred is channelled towards capital projects that will impact positively the people.
“Osun State government has own share of debts. I don’t want to go into details. What is important is to move forward. We are coping with whatever debts that have been incurred over time and we are ensuring it does not stop us from doing what we need to do as a government in the area of infrastructure, health, education and security.
“I think that’s the way to talk about it, even America owes a lot of debt. But I think we have actually been able to manage the state’s debt portfolio, we have been paying back inherited debt and we are still doing a lot that we need to do as a government.”
Asked why his administration has not borrowed money, Oyetola responded: “I have not borrowed a dime but that’s not to say that I might not borrow, given the fact that you must do some of the major projects that need time i.e. time-bound, particularly given the cost of infrastructure that is going on now, you may have to find a way of ensuring that you complete whatever you are doing.
“But what is important to me is the fact that even if I must borrow, I must do it in such a way that will not affect meeting my obligations to the people including payment of salaries and pension. However, as of today, we have not borrowed.”
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