Nasarawa State House of Assembly has uncovered N4.5bn unpent world bank loan meant for the women empowerment in the state.
The Legislature is demanding vivid explanation why the huge amount which was released by the world bank through the federal government and domiciled in the state ministry of women affairs for the “Nigeria For Women Program Scale-Up” initiative was not disbursed to the beneficiaries.
The Chairman of the House Committee on Public Accounts, Hon Solomon Yakubu Akwashiki, disclosed this during a public hearing in Lafia.
He said that the most worrisome thing was that the state government has started servicing the said loan when the funds were atill kpet untouched talk mor of deploying same for the purpose it was meant for.
“We are sad and not happy with your explanation that the World Bank through the Federal Government has released a loan amounting to N4.5 billion to be distributed to women in the State by clusters as empowerment and the money is still domiciled at the State Ministry of Women Affairs while the State Government is already servicing the loan,”
The Public Account Committee, the demanded for a written explanation from the Hon Commissioner for Women Affairs, Barr. Hauwa Jugbo, stressed the nwed for Ministries, Departments, and Agencies of government (MDAs) in the State to be transparent and accoutable in their activities.
“Nasarawa state government is doing well in road, water among other infrastructure but there must be transparency in all MDAs activities,” Akwashiki stressed.
The Committee expressed concern over the State Government’s huge external loan of N81bn noted that the external loan attracts deduction of N555million monthly from the Federation Account as interest rate.
Hon Akwashiki therefore, directed all Ministries, Department and Agencies (MDAs) in the state to submit their loan and debt records to the Debt Management Office within two weeks, saying the Assembly remains committed to transparency and accountability in the activities of MDAs in the state.