APC Tells PDP To Account For $460m CCTV, $2bn China Loan

The All Progressives Congress has reacted to the statement released by the media office of the Presidential Candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party during the 2019 general election, Atiku Abubakar, describing the sovereign immunity clause embedded in Nigeria’s loan agreements with China was unresearched, unintelligent and pedestrian.

The ruling party reacted on Monday in a statement released through its spokesperson, Yekini Nabena.

Nabena in the statement noted that the Minister for Transportation, Rotimi Amaechi, has explained the guarantee/clause in the loan deals is standard irrespective of the country granting the loan.

“Perhaps, Atiku and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) could redirect their energies to explaining to Nigerians the status of the failed $460 million Abuja Closed-Circuit Television (CCTV) awarded in August 2010 by the immediate-past PDP administration.”

“Also, they should explain the over $2billion China loan the PDP administration took between 2010 and 2013 alone; $16billion spent on power with no electricity; fuel subsidy rackets; counter-insurgency funds that were diverted and shared to political cronies among other shocking heists.”

The ruling party further stated that the project was initiated by former President Umaru Yar’Adua and awarded in August 2010 by former President, Goodluck Jonathan’s administration to help security agencies in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) check the growing insecurity.

APC noted that since the past administration signed the agreement, Nigeria has been servicing this loan to China while Nigerians are yet to attest to the visibility of CCTV project and unable to explain the status of the video surveillance project.

“The matter is subject to a legislative probe. In all of these, we are starkly reminded that the PDP remains a corrupted and damaged product. Nigerians must continue to reject the party at all levels of government.”

“In the area of fiscal discipline, prudence, curbing leakages, are we currently getting it right? An emphatic yes! Every kobo expended on infrastructure counts. Verifiable evidence abounds in the fast-expanding national railway projects, airport remodelling among other critical infrastructure projects being undertaken by the President Muhammadu Buhari government.”

APC added that the days of phoney contracts as institutionalised by successive PDP administrations are fast fading.