HeadlinesTransport $5.3bn Chinese Loans: Amaechi under pressure to resign By maritimemag August 5, 2020 ShareTweet 0 Abiola Seun | The Conference of Nigeria Political Parties (CNPP) has demanded immediate resignation of the Minister of Transportation, Rotimi Amaechi over the controvesial Chinese loans. The group also called for the continuation of the probe of the alleged lethal clauses in Article 8(1) of the commercial loan agreement signed between Nigeria and Export-Import Bank of China which allegedly “wills the sovereignty of Nigeria” in the $400 million loan for the Nigeria National Information and Communication Technology (ICT) Infrastructure Backbone Phase II Project, signed in 2018.In a statement signed by its Secretary General, Chief Willy Ezugwu, theCNPP commended the Chairman of the House Committee on Treaties andAgreements, Hon. Ossai Nicholas Ossai “for observing the anomaly and notsuccumbing to the Minister’s antics aimed at truncating the probe.” The CNPP then frowned “at the attempt by the Minister to stop theinvestigative hearing into some of the agreements signed between Nigeriaand China while responding to various questions on the ongoingmodernisation of railway projects being implemented by his ministry. “We are aware that the Minister is expected to appear again before theHouse of Representatives on 17th August, 2020, over the ongoinginvestigation into the commercial loan agreement signed between Nigeria and Export-Import Bank of China to the tune of $5.3 billion.“For us, for Mr. Rotimi Amaechi to urge the House Committee not toinvestigate the terms of the loans being received by the federal governmentbecause he believed that the probe will jeopardise the chances of thecountry getting further loans is nothing but a cover up attempt that mustbe strongly resisted. “The Minister’s further argument that China was monitoring happenings inNigeria and the probe will send a negative message to the Asian countryabout Nigeria is clearly an affront on the intelligence of the Nigerianpeople. “We believe that the real fear of the Minister of Transportation is that ifthe probe continues, at the end of the day, his deeds against the Nigerianpeople will come to the open. “The CNPP hereby call on the Minister to step aside for proper investigation as he has proven that, by his defence in favour of the defective loan agreement, he has something to hide. “The CNPP is keeping track of the Minister’s ongoing argument in the mediaand is currently consulting with relevant civil society organisations onthe next line of action on the matter”, the statement reads in part. © 2020, maritimemag. All rights reserved.
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