Kaduna state government has clarified reports quoting it as saying the World Bank wouldn’t grant loans to states exclusively of it. Kaduna Deputy Governor Bala Batex had made the statement at a Nigerian Bar Association’s event, where he represented his boss, Governor Nasir El-Rufai.
However, in his clarification, Batex said the comment was regrettable.
“I regret the insinuations that came in off-the cuff remarks I made after delivering the Governor’s prepared text at the NBA event. It is neither my view nor that of the Kaduna State Government”, he said in a statement.
Batex further said he had been “unimpressed by the specious and unbecoming arguments” three Kaduna senators had put against the much-sought-after loan.
He reiterated the claim that the World Bank had adjudged Kaduna “eminently qualified” to be granted the loan.
“This same Senate passed loan requests for other states, including some that the World Bank has not yet approved”, he said, adding he used the event “to point out the moral burden” posed by disapproval to the loan request.
The deputy governor also claimed members of the House of Representatives from the state are backing the loan request, suggesting the senators are the only opponents to it.
The Kaduna state government had asked the Senate to approve for it 350million dollars World Bank loan. The request met strident opposition from the three senators representing the state, who are also staunchly opposed to Governor El-Rufai. The senators, namely Shehu Sani, Suleiman Hunkuyi, Danjuma Lar pointed out during a Senate plenary that the loan request was unjustifiable.
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