Delta Assembly Approves Okowa’s N1 Billion Education Loan Request

BY PATRICK OGBOGU

Delta State House of Assembly on Tuesday June 13, 2017 approved the request of Governor Ifeanyi Okowa for a federal government loan facility of N1billion.

The approval, which was sequel to a letter to the speaker by Okowa, was got at a plenary session presided over by the Speaker, Rt Hon. Sheriff Oborevwori who read out the Governor’s letter on the floor of the House.

The facility is a Federal Government arrangement to enable the state access the universal basic education fund in meeting their obligations at this critical period of the nation’s history.

In the letter, the Governor said: ” the facility is to enable the state government pay her fifty per cent counterpart funding by the state universal basic education board [SUBEB ] to enable it access the federal government funds for the execution of projects in the education sector in the state”.

According to the Governor, Delta State has met the conditions for the offer adding that the disbursement plan will entail the release of N1Billion.

On the acceptance of the Governor’s letter by the lawmakers, the Speaker of the Delta State House of Assembly, Rt Hon Sheriff Oborevwori called for debate.

The Majority leader, Hon Tim Owhefere, observed that though the governor’s letter was “clear and self-explanatory” there was need for Delta citizens to be properly informed why the loan facility was necessary at this point in time.

He added that the good old days are no longer here and that apart from payment of salaries, there was need to embark on infrastructural development in the education sector and meet contractual agreements

At the end, the letter was approved by the House after a voice vote by the Speaker, Rt Hon Oborevwori.

The House adjourned to Tuesday June 27, 2017.