Posted on November 30, 2017
By Simon Ebegbulem, Vanguard
Nigerian citizens in Hungary have petitioned the Hungarian government kicking against the proposed 54 million Euro loan deal the country intends to give the Nigerian Ministry of Water Resources, describing the loan deal as a fraud and misplaced priority.
A letter addressed to the Hungarian Prime Minister, Victor Orban, signed by the President of the Association of Nigerians in Hungary, Mr Frederick Omoyoma and 12 others, noted that the 54 million Euro proposed loan being requested for by the Nigerian government for the study of the drainage work at the Rivers Niger and Benue and to also check sedimentation in Nigeria, is a “duplication and misplaced priority since the Nigerian government had on several occasions said it had awarded contracts for the dredging of Rivers Niger and Benue respectively.
The petition, which was made available to Vanguard, urged the Hungarian government to channel such funds to projects such as power projects which will directly affect the lives of Nigerians rather than granting loan for execution of projects which the Nigerian government has awarded contracts for, “in the past but people syphoned the money.”
Kicking against the loan, they said: “Sir, as our country continue to fight corruption, we wish to inform you that contract for the dredging of the River Niger was awarded by the former President of Nigeria for N47 billion (114,634,146 euro). Out of that amount, 34 billion naira( 82,926,829 euro) was paid to contractors and the job was abandoned.”
Source: Vanguard
