Buhari’s plan to borrow N5.1 trillion in 2022 to service debts, embarrassing – Jigawa lawmaker

Member representing representing Kazaure/Roni/Gwiwa/Yankwashi Federal Constituency in the House of Representatives, Mohammed Gudaji Kazaure has described as embarrassing, President Muhammadu Buhari’s plan to borrow the sum of N5.01 trillion to service debts in 2022.

He said the funds owed which money will be borrowed to pay up was actually public monies that was stolen by the privileged few and public officers some of.who stashes their wealth abroad.

The lawmaker who is also a member of the governing All Progressives Congress (APC) lamented how the administration was unable to pin down elements which suggested that they has escaped with the looted funds.

He posited that Buhari shouldn’t have borrowed money to fund the budget deficits, but was to pursue looters and recover monies in other to fund the budget, rather borrowing to service debts that were not incurred by the commoners.

Hon. Kazaure reacted to the budget presentation by President Muhammadu Buhari on Thursday at the National Assembly on Thursday in Abuja

The lawmaker noted that in Nigeria, corrupt elements loot and buried “money like dead bodies in the grave, saying they stashed the money abroad.

He wondered Why it was difficult for government to constitute a strong investigative and interrogative Committee to call back these people.

Kazaure said: ”We have to stop borrowing because we don’t know tomorrow and that is my concern. For example, the former female Petroleum Minister in the administration of President Goodluck Jonathan went away with the sum of $60 billion. This is about five years Nigerian budget.

He believed that a strong investigative and interrogative Committee would have unravelled thousands of those who stole monies that plunged the nation debts with o view to recover the money.

He faulted President Buhari’s anti-corruption battle,saying: “Seriously, this government said, they are fighting corruption, but as a lawmaker, I never see the corruption fight because we say we are fighting corruption and we are slow and not acting. If there is strong investigation and interrogation in this country, I am sure we will not borrow money to service debts.

“Sadly, the issue of revenue which they said has gone down; the oil which has gone down in many countries of the world and if we remember in this country before oil was discovered, Nigeria was generating revenue from agriculture. Money generated through cotton and groundnut was used to discover and develop oil and later, agriculture was abandoned.

“Look at our teeming youths roaming about jobless. Look at our forests currently inhabited by criminals which should have been cleared and used for farming by our teeming youths. If we can do this across the six geopolitical zones I am sure the nation will have money better than oil. We fund the budget without borrowing.

“But, most embarrassing is debt servicing which was reflected in the 2022 budget. We are servicing debt of monies stolen. Nigeria citizens never enjoyed the money which we are paying as debts.

“The money that was supposed to be invested in education, railways, health, security and other critical infrastructure would be used to service debts in 2022. The debt that are in individual pockets.

“Go round the country, and see the type of buildings some privileged persons and government officials are living and they said, they’re fighting corruption. Go to Maitama in Abuja, Lagos, Port harcourt, you will see people living in mansion and they are government officials.

“Did they acquire mansions with their salaries and we said we are fighting corruption? If we are really fighting corruption, we will not borrow money. It’s embarrassing.

“The situation, citizens found themselves is embarrassing because some people cannot afford three square meal a day. If there could be proper anti-corruption battle, we shall have no problems.

“In Nigeria, a serving government official owns mansions in billions of naira, owning estates, shopping plazas and how did he acquire all these? How much is his salary even if you put his 35 years salaries together and we said, we are fighting corruption. We are joking.