24th April, 2014
Najeem Salaam, Speaker Osun House of Assembly, says it is false that the debt stock of the state is N400 billion.
Salaam said this in a statement issued by his Chief Press Secretary, Goke Butika, which was made available to newsmen in Osogbo on Thursday.
The statement read that those peddling the rumour were only trying to score “cheap political goals”.
He called on the concerned stakeholders in the state to demand proof of the huge debts from those misleading the public.
“We have noticed that some political players are peddling fictitious figures about the debt profile of the state without proof.
“As the speaker of the state parliament, I challenge anyone with proof of N400 billion debt profile to send it to my office or publish it in the national dailies or bury his head in shame forever.
“We cannot afford to be misled by desperate individuals in the name of politics,” the statement read.
It said that the fact sheet before the speaker showed that the bond, bank facility in form of credit line and promissory notes accessed by the state government, stood at N40 billion.
The statement said the N40 billion bond and bank facilities were being expended on development projects in the state.
“The state parliament, under my watch, is in the know of the debt profile of the state.
“We debated the facilities involved and voted on the undertakings and that was why we chose to defend the debt profile.
“We challenge whoever has a proof that is different from what we have at the parliament to provide it within the frame of two weeks or stop the misleading information,” it said.