HURIWA Criticizes Approval of Mbah’s N170 Billion Loan Request 

The Human Rights Writers Association of Nigeria (HURIWA) has expressed disapproval over the approval of Governor Peter Mbah of Enugu State’s request for a 170 billion Naira loan.

It has expressed serious concerns about the request’s unusually quick passage through the state House of Assembly, which it claims violates citizens’ rights to transparent governance and fiscal responsibility.

Through Emmanuel Onwubiko, the group’s national coordinator, the group voiced concerns over the state Assembly’s unanimous approval of Mbah’s significant loan request.

HURIWA said: “This request encompasses a staggering N100 billion in bank guarantees, N10 billion in term loans, N10 billion in overdraft facilities, and N50 billion in credit facilities. These colossal figures demand rigorous scrutiny, and the absence of transparency surrounding this decision is deeply unsettling.

“It is apparent that the people of Enugu State have been left in the dark concerning specifics of this loan and how it will serve the state’s betterment. The dearth of transparency surrounding this decision raises critical questions about who truly stands to benefit from these funds”.

Therefore, the rights group called for Enugu State citizens, members of the House of Representatives, and opposition political leaders, such as senators, to band together and form a coalition aimed at ensuring the appropriate use of this huge cash.

However, the Human Rights Writers Association of Nigeria (HURIWA) and the state chapter of the Labour Party (LP) have come under fire from Save Enugu Group (SEG), a leading socio-political pressure group, for their criticism of Mbah’s N170 billion loan request.

The organization stated that “as long as a loan is not for consumption, there is nothing wrong with it” in a statement that was signed by Pascal Okolo, its publicity secretary.

Tackling LP in the state, the group pointed out that the party had shot itself in the foot by claiming that the loan was intended for personal wealth and the gratification of greed rather than for any stated purpose.

“On its part, HURIWA is merely seeking attention because its grouse was hinged on the speedy approval of the loan, assuming that “the people of Enugu State have been left in the dark concerning the specifics of this loan and how it will serve the state’s betterment.”