The Peoples
Democratic Party, PDP, has lambasted the Minister of Finance, Ms. Kemi Adeosun
for denying that Nigeria has paid its own part of the Airport Terminal
counterpart funding of $100 million.
The party said
contrary to the statement credited to Adeosun, who spoke in a television
programme, Sunrise, on Tuesday, the federal government under former President
Goodluck Jonathan awarded a contract for the remodelling and building of
international airport terminals in Lagos, Abuja, Port Harcourt, Kano and Enugu
on a ‘Built, Operate and Transfer’ (BOT) basis, financed by Chinese EXIM Bank
but with counterpart funds from Nigeria.
Deputy Senate
President, while speaking at plenary Wednesday on the economy, suggested that
Kemi Adeosun be assigned to another ministry to give way to a more competent
person because of the situation at hand.
A statement
issued Wednesday by the PDP National Publicity Secretary, Prince Dayo Adeyeye,
described Adeosun’s statement as just one of the many lies consistently peddled
by the All Progressives Congress, APC, disregarding and denying all the obvious
achievements of the 16 years of PDP era and collective successes of Nigerians
“Once again,
our attention has been drawn to a statement made by the Minister of Finance,
Ms. Kemi Adeosun, during the Channels Television Live Programme, ‘Sunrise
Daily’ of Tuesday, in which she stated that, ‘Nigeria has not paid the airport
terminal counterpart funding of $100 million….’
“This
information like many of her previous statements is: false, misleading,
malicious and was deliberately made with the intention of blackmailing previous
PDP led administration which have been the hallmark of the APC government.
“We are pained
that the APC under Buhari is bent on sacrificing our hard earned democracy on
the slab of falsehood by consistently disregarding and denying all the obvious
achievements of the 16 years of PDP era and collective successes of Nigerians.
Why is that?
“You will
recall that the former President, Dr. Goodluck Ebele Jonathan, in 2014, awarded
the contract of remodeling and building of international airport terminals in
Lagos, Abuja, Port Harcourt, Kano and Enugu on a BOT basis, financed by Chinese
EXIM Bank with counterpart funds from Nigeria. The contract total sum was $500
million with counterpart funding of $100 million from Nigeria.
“The fact of
the matter is that, Nigeria paid her own sum of $100 million on the 29th of
January 2014 through the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) at the beginning of the
projects.
“You will also
recall that the Permanent Secretary, Federal Ministry of Aviation, Hajiya Binta
Bello, corroborated our position during her interview with THISDAY Newspaper on
September 14, 2015, where she stated: ‘Finance was not an impediment, and
Nigeria government counterpart funding of $100 million has been paid at the
commencement of the projects.
“She went
further to assert that the projects would be completed and delivered at the
first quarter of 2016.
“In the light
of the above, the claim by the Minister of Finance, Kemi Adeosun is not only
standing the truth on its head but depicting the habitual lies and deceit the
APC is known for.
“For the
record, the previous PDP government entered into an agreement with the Chinese
government to construct terminals in five airports, and in January 2014, the
Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) wrote the Debt Management Office informing them
of effecting the Payment of $100Million to the Chinese Firm, CECC which was
remitted as directed by the CBN. In another thought, could it be that this
needless confusion from the Minister regarding the already Paid Fund is to
represent the Voucher again for payment?
“It is however
unfortunate that a minister that is expected to know better on this matter
would deliberately deceive the public in order to continue scoring cheap
political points.
“To this end,
we want to further advice the APC-led administration to concentrate on
governance and stop deceiving Nigerians with their constant lies. What the
people of this country need in this period of harsh economic recession is not
meaningless and misguided lamentations from a government of the so called
“Change” but good governance demonstrated by at least providing food on their table.”
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