*makes plan to build 120 houses for Executive, other arms and agency
ARMSTRONG ALLAHMAGANI, Bauchi
Bauchi state government said it would seek a N2.459 billion loan from Fidelity Bank Plc to pay its counterpart funding to the Universal Basic Education Board (UBEC) for the development of education in the state.
The Commissioner of Finance, Umaru Adamu, disclosed this while briefing journalists on the outcome of the State Executive Council Meeting held at the Government House on Wednesday.
He said that the state government is expected to pay over N1.519 billion as counterpart funding to UBEC.
Adamu said, “We presented a memo for ratification of Counter Funding on Universal Basic Education. Normally, Universal Basic Education Board, Abuja provides funds to State Universal Basic Education Boards.
“The Universal Basic Education Board, Abuja, provided over N1.519 billion and the state is expected to provide equivalent amount as counterpart funding.
“The state has not been accessing funds from UBEC, but ever since the coming in of the present administration, we have been accessing it as and when due. For the first quarter to the third quarter, this amount of N1.519 billion is what has been earmarked for Universal Basic Education in Bauchi.
“The governor approved a loan of the same amount (N1.519 billion) from Fidelity Bank at 9% interest rate. The Council ratified accessing that loan.”
The Commissioner said that the second memo he submitted was for Rural Access and Agriculture Marketing Project (RAAMP), which is also a World Bank Assisted Project.
He said that a certain amount of money would be provided by the World Bank, about $520 million, then Fresh Development Agency would also provide $380 million.
He said that the project is targeted for 13 states in the federation and each state is expected to provide $5 million to take care of land acquisition among others.
“It is in the same way that the state approached Fidelity Bank for a loan of N940 million as a counterpart funding to RAAMP at 14% interest rate but the Council decided that since the earlier loan was given at 9%, the N940 million loan should also be taken at the same 9% interest, failure of which we will look for an alternative,” he said.
Also speaking, the Commissioner, Ministry of Lands and Survey, Professor Adamu Ahmed, said the government had started making plans to build 120 house at the old airstrip site in the state which has been left unused for some years.
He said that the construction for the houses of the three arms of government and some security agencies would be done through a Public Private Partnership.
“The governor has taken a bold step to ensure that the land where the old Bauchi airstrip was situated is not left to waste.
“So the approval was given for the development of a comprehensive services scheme and the construction of 120 houses to accommodate State Legislature, the Executive, the Judiciary and major security outfits in the state.
“The scheme has to be developed based on Public Private Partnership and to ensure that we free out resources that can be utilized to provide infrastructures across the state,” he said.
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