Nigerians In Hungary Kick Against 54 Million Euros Loan To Nigeria
Nigerians in Hungary have kicked against the proposed 54 million Euro deal it intends to give the Nigerian Ministry of Water Resources, describing it as a fraud.
A letter addressed to the Hungarian Prime Minister, Victor Orban, signed by the President of the Association of Nigerians in Hungary, Mr. Frederick Omoyoma and 12 others, noted that the loan for the study of the drainage work at the Rivers Niger and Benue and to also check sedimentation in Nigeria is a ¨duplication and misplaced priority since the Nigerian government had on several occasions said it had awarded contracts for the dredging of River Niger and Benue.’’
The petition urged the Hungarian government to channel such funds to projects such as power project which will directly affect the lives of Nigerians rather than granting loan for execution of projects, which the Nigerian government has awarded the jobs ¨in the past, but people syphoned the money¨
The petition read:¨You may be surprised to know that contracts for the dredging of the River Niger and River Benue have been awarded and commenced in Nigeria.
This ongoing project will overtake any other ‘study’ that our Minister of Water Resources is seeking loan for.‘’¨What is the point of seeking loan for a ‘study’ that will lead to bigger project expected to stop flooding when a dredging project that will end the same flooding has already commenced?
‘’Is our Minister trying to duplicate a project that has already commenced through the financing of our government?
Sir, as our country continues to fight corruption, we wish to inform you that contract for the dredging of the River Niger was awarded by the former President of Nigeria for N47 billion (114,634,146 euro). Out of that amount, N34 billion (82,926,829 euro) was paid to contractors and the job was abandoned.
We know that 54 million euro can equip our army to end terrorism in Nigeria. That amount of money could conveniently settle internally displaced persons in Nigeria. It could also be used to build schools for some children who are learning under deplorable classroom conditions.
Kazaure local government of Jigawa State which is the birth place of our Minister for Water Resources is equally in serious need of
social and economic development. 54 million euro could provide steady electricity to some parts of Nigeria. It could even be
used in upgrading some of our hospitals to the standard of some hospitals in Hungary thereby discouraging our politicians from seeking medical treatments abroad,” it stated.
Sir, we ask that you cancel this loan and assist Nigeria in any other way you may deem necessary. For the sake of our generation and those coming after us, please do not support any intention by the Nigerian Ministry of Water Resources to further severe the thin thread that currently hold us together as a country.
Nigerians are already very provoked by the desire to receive this loan from Hungary. The circumstances and the amount quoted in this loan is very questionable, therefore we urge your government not to honour it since it will not be of benefit to Nigerians¨ it stated.
