$263.8 Million Loan Facility: Abia Liaison Officer Tackles Ben Kalu

As the political fued between Gov. Alex Otti and the Deputy Speaker, House of Representatives, Rt. Hon. Benjamin Kalu, shows no sign of abating, the Abia State Liaison Officer to the National Assembly, Chief Iheanyi Chinasa, has tackled the Deputy Speaker for demanding accountability over a $263.8 million loan facility purportedly obtained by the state.

The said credit facility was secured for the Abia State Integrated Infrastructural Development Project, ABSIID, a project aimed at developing the sate infrastructure.

According to Chinasa, the credit facility was sourced from a consortium of three banks namely: Islamic Development Bank ($125 million); African Development Bank, AfDB ($100 million); the Canada–Africa Development Bank ($15 million); while Abia State Government contributed $23.80 million as counterpart funding.

Chief Chinasa who is also Kalu’s kinsman, accused the Deputy Speaker of raising a false alarm, explaining that the said load facility had not been withdrawn by the state.

He said:”These funds are still with the banks. The state has not drawn a single kobo from the funds as I speak. This information is also within the public domain for all to access and verify.”

Chief Chinasa slammed the Deputy Speaker “for peddling misinformation with intent to discredit Otti’s administration.”

The Liaison Officer also accused the Deputy Speaker of disparaging the Governor for selfish political reasons.

“My question is: Why does the Deputy Speaker like to misinform the public? Is this a desperation to generate controversy and further present himself as being prosecuted for the President’s sake?

“The Deputy Speaker asking for results from a loan that is yet to be disbursed is shocking. Looking for opportunity to blackmail Abia State Government at every forum is very unbecoming of the exalted office of the Deputy Speaker.”

Chief Chinasa advised the Deputy Speaker to “focus on his representation of the people of Bende federal constituency and stop his unprovoked attacks against Otti.”

He asked him to wait for 2027 and contest for the governorship race “if he thinks he has the popularity and capacity to compete with Gov. Otti.”

Chinasa said Gov. Otti had”performed so well with the resources available to him, and deserves commendation and not attacks or distractions”.