‘It’s sabotage’ — Lawan tackles MDAs for failing to defend FG’s loan request

Senate President Ahmad Lawan has accused some ministries, departments and agencies (MDAs) of sabotage for failing to appear before the committee on local and foreign loans to defend loan requests.

Speaking on the floor of the senate on Wednesday, Lawan said the upper legislative chamber will take appropriate actions if the concerned MDAs do not appear before the committee within a week.

The senate president said although the national assembly has already approved the loans requested by President Muhammadu Buhari, there is a need for the MDAs to defend them.

“Some ministries, departments and agencies (MDAs) of the federal government should have appeared before the senate committee on loan and foreign debt to defend the debt request by the executive arm of government,” he said.

“These MDAs failed to appear. The senate considers this attitude as a sabotage to the effort of the federal government to use the loans and fund the infrastructure development that this country desperately needs.

“We are giving them just one week to appear before the committee on loan and foreign debts and if they fail to appear, we will take appropriate and prompt action because this senate will not condone any sabotage to the effort of this administration.”

The MDAs are ministry of power, ministry of health, ministry of women affairs, ministry of state for petroleum resources, ministry of water resources, ministry of water resources, ministry of environment, and National Agency for Science and Engineering Infrastructure (NASENI).

Lawan also reconstituted the leadership of some committees in the upper legislative chamber.

He appointed Sahabi Ya’u, senator representing Zamfara central, as chairman, national population and national identity.

Tokunbo Abiru, senator representing Lagos east, was appointed chairman of the senate committee on industry.

Saidu Alkali and Kabir Barkiya were appointed as heads of trade and inter-parliamentary affairs, respectively.