The Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, in Abia State has said that it was the past administrations of former governors Theodore Orji and Okezie Ikpeazu that initiated and attracted a $115 million loan to Abia State from the African Development Bank (AfDB) and not the present administration.
According to PDP, the funds only dropped in Abia State accounts one month after the exit of Governor Ikpeazu from office.
In a statement signed by the Vice Chairman and acting Publicity Secretary of the party, Abraham Amah, PDP said that it was uncharitable for the present administration not to credit the past administrations for the efforts put in for the money that came into the state from AfDB.
The statement read in part: “The said $115 million is part of a total of $263 million, which was initiated by the two previous administrations with AfDB as the lead of a consortium of lenders for the construction of Port Harcourt Road, Aba, other roads within the state and the control of erosion in parts of the state. Of the $115 million, the AfDB approved $100 million, while a Canadian lending agency approved $15 million, which the Federal government just approved about six weeks ago as the obligor.”
When contacted for the state government’s reaction to PDP’s claims, the Special Adviser to Abia State Governor on Media and Publicity, Ferdinand Ekeoma, could not be reached on the phone as his line was not available.
Also, messages sent to his WhatsApp have not been responded to at the time of this report.
