Niger not owing from bonds taken – Government

Contrary to the position of the opposition, that the Niger State Government is not indebted to the extent that it cannot pay.
This position was made known by the state Commissioner for Planning and Deputy Chairman of the Planning Commission, Alhaji Yahaya Dan-Salau, on Thursday.
Dan-Salau said the bonds collected from the Capital Market by the Governor Muazu Babangida Aliyu-led administration have been fully paid.
Dan-salau told newsmen that between 2007 and 2014, the administration had been able to transform the economy of the state and laid a solid foundation for the incoming administration to build upon.
According to him: “Most of the facilities acquired by the government have been paid off.
“The N6 billion bond initially collected from the capital market has been fully paid while the payment of the N9 billion and N12 billion also sourced from the capital market are at various stages of being paid.”
Dan-Salau said contrary to what is being peddled around by the opposition, the state is not indebted to the extent that it cannot pay the debt.
According to him: “We have managed the economy of the state very well.
“We have done our best.
“The expected revenue generation from all sources was N98.8 billion, while the actual amount generated was N77.1 billion.”
The budget, Dan-Salau explained, performed only up to 71 per cent during the last fiscal year.
He said the government has over the last seven years been able to manage the economy of the state.
While giving a breakdown of the 2015 appropriation bill signed into law by Governor Babangida Aliyu recently, the Commissioner explained that over the last seven years, the government has implemented its budget to the satisfaction of the people as it has touched the lives of the people in the urban and rural areas of the state.
Dan-Salau however said with the prevailing situation in the country, there is the need for the state to look inwards for the generation of funds in order to meet the shortfall occasioned by the drop in the price of crude in the international market, a development he noted has affected all sectors of the economy of the country.
He disclosed that the 2015 budget will be reviewed every quarter to ensure it comes to term with the situation at every time though government anticipates that the crude oil price will rise to $85 per barrel before the end of the year.