NASS to grill Amaechi over Government loans
The House of Representatives will on Monday conduct a hearing to investigate ministers and other functionaries of the Federal Government over Nigeria’s external borrowings, particularly from China.
The House Committee on Treaties, Protocols and Agreements had summoned the Minister of Finance, Budget and National Planning, Zainab Ahmed; Minister of Communications and Digital Economy, Isa Pantami; Minister of Power, Saleh Mamman; Minister of Transportation, Rotimi Amaechi; and Director-General of the Debt Management Office, Patience Oniha, among others
The Punch reports that Chairman of the committee, Mr Nicholas Ossai, disclosed this over the phone on Sunday. He said that those summoned were expected to appear before the panel today.
“We are sitting tomorrow; we adjourned to August 17. We expect everybody to be there”.
The committee had earlier on July 28, 2020, grilled the Minister of Transportation, summoning him to reappear for a hearing on August 17.
The panel had on July 28, 2020, begun an investigation into the external loans taken by Nigeria, beginning with a $500m loan taken from China for rail projects.
The lawmakers had raised the alarm over loan agreements Nigeria signed with China, exercising fear that the agreement could force Nigeria to concede its sovereignty to the Chinese if the loan was not paid back as at when due.
Recall that Daily Times had earlier reported Amaechi’s reaction to the planned probe by the lawmakers, urging the NASS to look away from probing the terms and conditions of the loan as this may spook China and prevent them from granting Nigeria fresh loans which have already been applied for.
