Reports by Channels Television claimed that the Senate on Wednesday, November 13, approved the payment of a N10 billion loan to Kogi state.
President Buhari had earlier in October this year, sent a letter to the Senate, seeking approval for the payment of N10 billion to settle local debts incurred by Kogi State government as a result of the projects executed on behalf of the federal government.
The approval by Senate however met resistance by Senators from opposition party. The Senators questioned the timing of the approval of the loan.
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Meanwhile, The Herald reported that the Senate has been asked by President Muhammaudu Buhari to approve the payment of N10, 069, 692, 410.15 as settlement for promissory note issued to the Kogi state government for executing federal government projects.
The Herald gathered that President Buhari’s request was contained in a letter read by the Senate President, Ahmad Lawan, on Tuesday, October 15, on the floor of the Senate.
The letter was titled: “Request for the resolution of the National Assembly for the issuance of N10.069B promissory notes to Kogi State Government under the promissory note program and bond issuance to settle inherited Local debt and contractual obligations of the Federal Government to refund the State on project executed by the State on behalf of the Federal Government.”
The letter read: “Based on my request for the resolution of the National Assembly approving the establishment of a promissory note program and the bond issuance to settle inherited Local debts and contractual obligation by the federal government, the 8th National Assembly passed resolutions approving the issuance of the promissory notes to refund State Governments for projects executed on behalf of the Federal Government.
“The three resolutions approved the issuance of promissory notes to 24 out of the 25 State Governments that requested and the only State for which approval has not been given is Kogi State with an outstanding claim of N10.069B.
“The Senate may wish to know that the claim of all the 25 States for project executed on behalf of the Federal Government were verified by the Federal Ministry of Works and Housing and the Bureau of Public Procurement for which the Federal Executive Council approved the claims which they were forwarded for the approval of the National Assembly.”