Governor Charles Soludo of Anambra has debunked the report that his administration is planning to borrow N120bn to fund the State 2024 budget.
Soludo debunked the publication while briefing Journalists at the governor’s lodge Amawbia, on Tuesday to mark the State’s 33rd anniversary.
Nigerian Tribune gathered that the governor was reacting following the recent publication that Anambra State government will borrow N120 billion from financial institutions to fund the 2024 budget and that he (Soludo) had on Tuesday presented a budget of N410 billion to the State House of Assembly for consideration and approval.
Reacting further to the development, gov Soludo urged Ndi-Anambra and the public at large to disregard and consider the report as pure fake news that has no source.
According to the governor, the report is purely fake news. The current government of Anambra State under my watch has no and never planned to borrow money to fund the ongoing transformation policies in the state.
‘I don’t know where this report is coming from. I will interrogate my officials about it.
This administration under my able watch has a particular view about borrowing and we have very narrow stringing collateral in borrowing. We can not borrow for consumption, if we want to borrow, we will borrow for bankable projects and programmes that will add value not just for today but for the generation unborn.
“In 2022, when I came on board, the State House of Assembly where we have our supplementary budget actually approved for us to borrow a sum of 100 billion and until this moment we have not borrowed a Kobo out of that.
“Last year, 2023, we have explicit in our budget of about ninety-something billion deficit but we don’t borrow a Kobo of that.
“This year 2024, we also have budget deceit of about 121 billion and till this moment, we have not borrowed one Koko out of that. We are not dreaming of borrowing for fun sake.
“We are working on projects that will be bankable. We are insisting that we borrow for bankable projects that will have probability and possibility of generating returns to pay back in future.
So, therefore, the Daily Trust report of Anambra State government will borrow N120 billion from financial institutions to fund the 2024 budget in the state is purely fake news and nothing short of that, the governor clarified
Governor Soludo used the briefing to wish residents irrespective of tribe, ethnic political, and religious affiliations a happy 33-anniversary celebration.
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