Imo State House of Assembly has come under attack for approving Governor Hope Uzodimma’s request to borrow N7 .5 billion to purchase vehicles for public officers as well as to enhance primary healthcare services.
About 14 of 27 members of the Assembly on Wednesday in plenary presided over by the Speaker, Dr. Chiji Collins, approved the request. According to the request, the state government will use N5 billion to buy Sports Utility Vehicles (SUVs) for permanent secretaries, and Hyundai buses for transporting civil servants and other public officials.
The sum of N2.5 billion was approved towards beefing up primary healthcare services.
But on radio programmes and other platforms, the governor and lawmakers were criticised for opting for the loan.
Some of the responders said the state government should have focused on paying retirees their pensions and teachers and workers their about eight months salaries rather than obtaining a loan to buy vehicles for public officers.
Others said the state government should have focused on fixing the bad roads in Owerri.
Duru Daniels of Concerned Citizens for Good Governance said the approval was not what Imo people needed.
He said his advocacy group needed payment of the retirees being owed for over 50 months as well as teachers and some workers being owed salaries for about eight months.
“We need from government good governance. The loan should have been the wish of the people. Payment of pensions, salaries of teachers and workers and not to borrow to buy vehicles for the appointees of the governor who have vehicles,” Daniels said.
Other responders said the state government should address the immediate problems instead of buying vehicles for public officials.
But in his reaction, Chief Jude Ugbaja said there was nothing wrong with borrowing to solve problems being faced by the government.