A rights group, Centre for the Vulnerable and the Underprivileged, (Centrep), has described the rejection of N11 billion loan request sent to the State House of Assembly for approval by Governor Sullivan Chime of Enugu State barely 50 days to his exit as uncommon courage.
Reacting to the rejection of the request, Executive Director of Centrep, Mr. Oghenejabor Ikimi said in a press statement made available to Vanguard, yesterday that “we do hail honourable members of the Enugu State House of Assembly for exhibiting uncommon courage at its recent plenary session when it turned down the request of the outgoing governor of the State, Mr. Sullivan Chime for a loan of N11 billion from an undisclosed commercial bank for the payment of contractors in the state.
“We note that the above gesture, has portrayed the Enugu State House of Assembly as an independent legislative arm of government as opposed to being a rubber stamped legislature.
“We call on other state legislatures in the federation to emulate the Enugu State House of Assembly in checking reckless abuse of executive powers by state chief executives, which said act of impunity is currently pervading our polity ceaselessly.
“We make bold to state that the idea of Governor Sullivan Chime requesting approval for a loan of 11 billion naira for the payment of contractors owed by the state barely 50 days to his handing over to a new governor in the state, does not portray probity, transparency and accountability in governance.
“Same amount to a reckless abuse of executive powers in the sense that government is a continuum, as the incoming government can as well be allowed to pay the said debt
