Ondo Government Under Fire As Policy Alert Alleges Illegal Foreign Loan, Criticizes State Assembly

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Civil Society Organisation, Policy Alert, has sounded an alarm regarding an alleged undisclosed foreign loan acquired by the Ondo State Government, purportedly without the approval of the State House of Assembly…CONTINUE READING

The organization, dedicated to advocating fiscal and ecological justice in the Niger Delta, claims that the state government secured a N719.36 million foreign loan in the third quarter of 2023.

Expressing concern over the Assembly’s apparent negligence of its oversight duty, Policy Alert, through its Programme Officer, Fiscal Reforms and Anti-Corruption, Faith Paulinus, criticized the state government’s actions as a negative development.

The organization could not find any evidence indicating that the loan request and subsequent approval were deliberated upon during plenary sessions of the State House of Assembly.

Describing the acquisition of loans without Assembly approval as illegal and a blatant violation of the Assembly’s powers, Policy Alert urged the Executive to cease this detrimental practice.

Simultaneously, the organization called on the Ondo State House of Assembly to fulfill its oversight responsibility.

Despite these concerns, Policy Alert commended the Ondo State government for its commitment to prioritizing crucial sectors in the state’s budget implementation during the third quarter of 2023.

The organization emphasized that, among the nine Niger Delta States, Ondo State leads in prioritizing essential human development sectors such as health, education, water, sanitation, hygiene (WASH), and agriculture.