ASABA – The State Commissioner for Finance, Chief Fidelis Tilije, alongside Commissioner of Public Enlightenment, Mr Charles Aniagwu, while speaking at a press conference in Asaba, stated that contrary to reports by an online news medium, the State Government had not entered into any borrowing relationship with any institution.
The pair mooted that Delta State is the strongest financial state in the country.
He mooted that the state has not entered into any borrowing relationship for the past two years.
According to him, “This state has not entered into any borrowing relationship whatsoever, whether partnership, individual, corporate, bank, local, national or international. We have not borrowed a dime since this administration took effect on the 29th of May, 2023.
“I can state categorically in any forum I found myself, that Delta State remains, in terms of financial terms, the strongest financial state standing in this country.
“I say so with every emphasis because I know the finances of the state, and I say that we are the strongest financial state in Nigeria.Advertisement
“I can stand this debate at any point in time because I know the balances as I speak to you today. I know the efforts that are being made by this administration.
“We have paid so much in terms of construction, we have made sure that all debts are being paid down as seriously as we can.
“We have also improved in terms of contractual relationships with our contractors. Before now, it is difficult for us to give our contractors advanced payments.
Meanwhile, Commissioner of Public Enlightenment, Mr. Charles Aniagwu, stated that the state has continued to make efforts to defray existing loans from the past.
He mentioned that the state has been able to utilize resources from Federal Allocation alongside internally Generated Revenue to pilot the infrastructural and socioeconomic development of the state.
“We do not know where that came from because, as a state, we are on a platform of solid liquidity. We are not only liquid, but we are solidly liquid to be able to deal with the problems that we have and that tells you the management skills of the Oborevwori administration,” he said.
“We are only using what is available to us that comes in from our entire state. We have not at any time borrowed a penny, and so we were surprised when we saw a report on one of the online platforms suggesting that we are number one in terms of borrowing.