President Muhammadu Buhari has reached out to his political opponent, former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar and consoled him over the death of his mother-in-law, Khadija Musdafa.
The president extolled the virtues of Hajiya Khadija, describing her as a mother with a large heart and unmatched accommodating spirit — in a condolence message conveyed via a statement issued by Garba Shehu, Senior Special Assistant on Media and Publicity.
The statement titled, ‘President Buhari condoles with Lamido Adamawa, former Vice President over passing of Hajia Khadija Musdafa,’ reads: “President Muhammadu Buhari joins government and indigenes of Adamawa State in mourning the passing of Hajiya Khadija Musdafa, matriarch of the Musdafa royal family.
“The President sends condolences to the Lamido of Adamawa, HRH Muhammadu Barkindo Aliyu Musdafa, the entire Emirate Council and the former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, who lost a mother-in-law, believing Hajiya Khajiya’s investment of love and kindness will always be remembered and appreciated.
“As wife of the late Lamido, Dr Aliyu Mustapha, President Buhari notes, with sympathy, that Hajiya’s large-heartedness and accommodating spirit created a home for everyone, without discrimination, and her dedication to her husband left a legacy of loyalty and service.
“The President prays that the almighty God will receive the soul of the departed, and comfort her loved ones.”
Atiku Writes NASS, Wants Loans For Projects That Won’t Generate Revenue Blocked
Meanwhile, the former vice president, on Monday wrote to the President of the Senate, Dr. Ahmad Lawan, requesting the National Assembly reject any new loan request meant for “projects that are not viable.”
In the letter, received on August 25, accroding to Premium Times, Atiku, charged the lawmakers to also halt approval for loans that are not income-generating or production-based.
He said Nigeria risked insolvency if it continued to borrow money, adding that previous loans were spent on non-viable projects.
According to the Debt Management Office (DMO), Nigeria’s total public debt as of March 2020 stood at $79.3 billion out of which external debt was $27.6 billion.
In a Freedom of Information (FoI) request dated August 3, 2020, Falana & Falana Chambers, the law firm of human rights activist, Mr. Femi Falana (SAN), had asked the DMO to provide information on “external loan of $76 billion.”
But in its response dated August 12, DMO explained that Nigeria’s external loan is $27.6 billion and not $76 billion.
The foreign creditors include the World Bank, Africa Development Bank and the Exim Bank of China.
Lawan had also said in June that federal lawmakers approved about $28 billion loan requests for President Muhammadu Buhari in the last one year.
But in his letter to the Senate president, a copy of which was made public yesterday, the former vice president said Nigerians should not sit back and watch while the nation teeters towards financial peril.
He said: “On May 29, 2015, Nigeria’s total national debt stood approximately at N12 trillion. As of August 2020, our national debt has tripled to N28.63 trillion. Even more alarming is the fact that the foreign debt portion of our national debt has risen from less than $10 billion on May 29, 2015, to almost $30 billion in August 2020.
“A further cause for concern is the fact that not all of these debts are necessary. A study of the use to which these monies have been put to will show that much of it has gone towards items or projects that are non-productive or viable.”
Atiku added that the future of Nigeria’s youth and unborn generations had been placed in what could very well be bondage-like conditions.
“As such, in view of your role as a check on the excesses of other arms of government, may I suggest that going forward, the National Assembly should refuse to approve any new loan requests, where such loans are to be spent on projects or items that are not income-generating or production-based, or indeed viable,” he said.
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