Powerful PDP senator cries out over rising state debt, says “I’m under pressure”

3 weeks ago 68

Legit.ng journalist Esther Odili has over two years of experience covering political parties and movements.

Ned Nwoko, the senator representing Delta North Senatorial District and husband to Nollywood star Regina Daniels, has said that he is under pressure from his people because the state government is not living up to expectations.

Ned Nwoko stated this during an interview on Channels TV’s Politics Today.

As reported by Daily Trust, he also urged the federal government led by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to prohibit the importation of refined products, saying the government must protect local refineries.

Nwoko noted that his call for the creation of one more state in the South East is workable.

He said the region has only five states, thereby contributing to the clamour by the people.

Nwoko said:

“It’s very simple. Before I go to the public with this to say the state is owing hundreds of billions of naira and was able to pay less than about N200 billion out of it. It is in the public and everybody knows.“His (the governor’s) media people have gone out to say this anyway that the state has a huge debt profile and that they are paying so much, but that is not my problem because every government can borrow if they have such revenue every month from the federation account and so much goes to the servicing of this loan.“It does not stop them from borrowing to meet the needs of the people. How can I explain to my people ‘sorry we can’t do the road for you because the government is paying debts incurred by the previous government? Is that an explanation? I am under pressure from my people.”