He argued that the rumour was the product of the state’s desperate opposition.
He made this statement while speaking with journalists on Sunday night in Abakaliki.
He claims that Governor Umahi never requested a loan from the House.
He said that with less than a month left before the end of his tenure, the governor does not require such an amount.
He said, “Basically, I want to say that the N33 billion loan rumour is both false and misleading. For the records, the Ebonyi State Government never approached the House of Assembly at any time for any loan. The State Government never requested any N33 billion loan whatsoever, that I know.
“In fact, the context within which this rumour is being insinuated was what Chika Nwoba, the Publicity Secretary of the Peoples Democratic Party in Ebonyi, posted on social media. As far as I am concerned, the Ebonyi State Government, under Umahi’s watch, has never written to the House for N1bn, N5bn, N10bn or N20bn loans. This is the handiwork of desperate opposition in the state.
“The governor or the State Government has not come to the House of Assembly requesting for any form of loan approval. What I hate is this extremism in opposition. I have found out that we live in a country where when citizens suffer indigestion, they blame it on the government or the people representing them. So, it’s always easy to sell any form of falsehood that is anti-government.
“Therefore, I don’t know why actually this rumour spread on the coming to the House of Assembly for loan approval to access N33 billion, is coming from and why it’s of utmost importance to the opposition. It’s false, it’s unfounded and it’s untrue, and does not represent anything semblance of fact in Ebonyi State.
“I sincerely and openly frown at it especially where my name is being mentioned.
“Of course, I’m the one who does the Business of the House, and I’m the bridge between the government and the Assembly. Outside the fact that it’s not even possible for any sane man to contemplate such a thing, how can somebody be asking for such a loan on behalf of a government that’s going to elapse by May?
“This is a government we all know that has little or no debt hanging on its neck as we speak. No debt from contractors, no debt from civil servants, no debt from anybody. What is the essence of such a request as being alleged by the opposition? This is not only ludicrous to say that Ebonyi Government approached the House of Assembly for N33 billion loan approval request. This rumour is false, misleading and mischievous, and it was orchestrated by the desperate opposition we have in Ebonyi State.”
