STATE DEBT PROFILE! AKWA IBOMITES USED AS LOAN COLLATERAL – SEN ITA ENANG

…Faults Udom Over Nonpayment Of Workers Salary
…Insists Akwa Ibom Allocation Higher Than Entire South-East, North East States

The secrecy surrounding the debt profile of Akwa Ibom State resulting in government’s inability to pay workers salary may be an indication that Akwa Ibom indigenes were used as collateral by the government. This is the gospel according to the Senior Special Assistant to the President on National Assembly Matters, Sen. Ita Enang.
The presidential aide who was addressing journalists in Uyo berated the state government for owing workers salary when the state remains the state receiving the highest monthly allocation from the Federation Account. He stated that the allocation that accrues to Akwa Ibom State is far greater than the entire allocation of the entire South Eastern States and what the entire North East states get as allocation is not up to half of Akwa Ibom States allocation, wondering why people will still be complaining that things are not moving well in Akwa Ibom State and workers are not being paid.
Ita Enang regretted that he had foreseen the current financial crisis in the state when the state owed one bank heavily and the only bargain was for the bank to send a Governor to us and their account officer also seconded to the State as the Accountant General. He stated that it would have been better for the Governor to state and lay bare before Akwa Ibom people the true position of the State’s debt profile since the money allegedly used to pay back the debt does not belong to the Governor but to Akwa Ibom people.
He stated that while the Constitution vests the State House of Assembly with the power to vet and approve any request for loan by the Governor, the citizens must be involved during public hearings bothering on obtaining fresh loans in a state that receives the highest allocation every thirty days from the Federation Account. He lamented that the unwillingness by the Governor to state how much the state is owing the banks as well as contractors only imply that even our great grand children have been offered as collateral for the loans previously obtained.
Ita Enang faulted the employment of a new revenue consultant by the state government, lamenting that it is unwise to have a consultant when there exists in the state, the State Internal Revenue Service Board and wondered if government will still be paying staffs of the State Internal Revenue Service with the consultant commissioned by the government, stating that while consultants had existed in the past, it was necessary to clarify the terms and conditions upon which the new Revenue Consultant is engaged and compare it with the terms and conditions that existed between the government and past revenue consultants.
Senator Enang declared that it is ridiculous for people to be complaining that there is no money for the local government areas when on a monthly basis, allocation to the local government areas are released alongside what goes to the States and federal government, staying that these are pertinent questions the people must ask their leaders.
On the 2016 budget passed into law by the National Assembly, Enang declared that while he will give a sectoral analysis of the budget once it is accented to by the President, the economic policy of the APC led government will reflect in areas such as agriculture, infrastructure, education, job creation and empowerment and assured that every state will be carried along in terms of appointments by the President.
Answering questions on the Federal Polythenic which Akpabio diverted to his hometown in Ukana, Essien Udom LGA, Ita Enang declared that he will not bother about where the institution is located but will rather work closely with relevant stakeholders towards ensuring that the Polytechnic takes off but noted with dismay that the faulty take off of the institution is as a result of a faulty approach that was adopted in the recruitment of principal officers of the Polytechnic.
On the state of the economy and the perennial fuel scarcity in the country, he noted with delight that the Minister of State for Petroleum is planning to incorporate the modular refineries in the country as a means of boasting local production, job creation and product availability, stating that once more modular refineries are given capacity to produce as well as the about to be completed Dangote Refinery, the country will become a less crude exporting and petrol importing dependent economy but one capable of producing what can meet local consumption demands, stating that the time has come for Nigeria to start looking inwards and diversify our economy especially against the backdrop that most nations who hitherto were buying our crude have started exploring alternative energy sources which has drastically reduced their demand and need for our crude. He called on Nigerians to go back to agriculture as a means of sustenance and advocated planting of agricultural crops and trees in compounds than flowers that are of no economic value.