The Anambra State Government and a Senator from the state, Ifeanyi Ubah, yesterday engaged in war of words over a promissory note the state government accepted from the federal government.
While the senator gave the state Governor, Mr. Willie Obiano, a 48-hour ultimatum to explain what he did with the N25 billion promissory note allegedly issued to the state government by the federal government through the Debt Management Office (DMO), the state government has accused the senator representing Anambra South senatorial zone of working hard to discredit the Obiano-led state government.
A statement issued by the state commissioner for Information and Public Enlightenment, Mr. C. Don Adinuba, stated that Ubah at the weekend accused the state government of negotiating away N8billion in a promissory note it accepted from the federal government for money spent on federal roads in the state.
Adinuba also quoted Ubah as threatening to go to court over the forfeited N8billion.
“Senator Ubah and his hirelings are the only traducers of Anambra State’s exceedingly impressive financial management. It is a conundrum that someone should be de-marketing the very state he wants to govern by all means.
“Let him go to court at once to demonstrate how, as he claims, Anambra State lost N8billion as discounts on N25billion promissory notes of the federal government. Otherwise, he has to resign from the Senate forthwith. If he refuses, the people of the Anambra South senatorial zone know what to do with his continued presence in the hallowed chambers of the Senate of the Federal Republic of Nigeria,” he stated.
The commissioner advised Ubah to quickly proceed to court, saying that that would amount to displaying his ignorance to the world, “as it is very clear that it was rather out of wisdom that Obiano pressured the federal government to issue him the promissory note, instead of waiting endlessly for cash, which isn’t available.
““If Senator Ubah fails to go to court with his fanciful figures and ideas, he has to resign from the Senate. The legislature, especially the Senate, is for thoughtful men and women who have prepared themselves for public service in the finest tradition. If he refuses to resign honourably, the people of the Anambra South senatorial zone know what to do.”
However, Ubah has given Obiano a 48-hour ultimatum to explain what he did with the N25 billion promissory note issued to the state government by the federal government.
The Young Peoples Party (YPP) senator said failure by Obiano to give a detailed breakdown of how the facility was expended, he would not hesitate to approach the court of law to compel him to do so.
Ubah, who spoke with journalists on the said facility yesterday, threatened to sue the state government if at the expiration of the ultimatum the governor fails to open up on the said funds.
The DMO had allegedly in December 2018 and April 2019 issued separate promissory notes to the Anambra State Government to the tune of N10.097 billion and N15.146 billion respectively.
The two promissory notes, which were issued to settle the outstanding claims for rehabilitated roads, however had maturity dates of December 28, 2020, and April 1, 2022.
But the Vice Chairman of the Senate committee on Petroleum (Downstream), however, faulted the collection of the money before the maturity dates.
He alleged that ahead of the maturity dates of the promissory notes, Obiano, had discounted the two promissory notes and collected only N16 billion instead of the N25 billion, a situation he claimed made the state to lose the sum of N9 billion.
According to him, the N25 billion in question was for works done by ex-Governors Chris Ngige and Peter Obi in terms of infrastructural development on behalf of the federal government.