Reps dump N22.7tn loan request, okay N1tn borrowing

The House of Representatives, on Tuesday, partly approved of the requests made by the President, Major General Muhammadu Buhari (retd.), on Ways and Means Advances from the Central Bank of Nigeria.

While the House approved restructuring of N1tn WMAs, the lawmakers dropped the request for N22,719,703,774,306.90 from the CBN.

This was based on the recommendation by the Joint Committees on Finance; Banking and Currency; and Aids, Loans and Debts Management laid, considered and adopted by the House in plenary.

The Deputy Chairman of the House Committee on Finance, Musa Abdullahi, laid the report.

The report partly read, “Based on the observations and the exigencies of the Federal Government current fiscal situation, the committees Recommends the following:

“(i) The approval of the requested restructuring of the N1 trillion additional Ways and Means Advances for implementation of the 2022 Supplementary Appropriations Act as passed by the National Assembly.

“(ii) Further engagement with the executive by the Joint Committee to allow for a thorough and detailed work and submissions on the larger part of the advances, which amounts to N22,719,703,774,306.90 only.”

On December 21, 2022, President of the Senate, Ahmad Lawan; and Speaker of the House, Femi Gbajabiamila, read out Buhari’s request to members of the respective chambers.

In the request titled ‘Restructuring of Ways and Means Advances,’ the President wrote, “The Ways and Means Advances by the Central Bank of Nigeria to the Federal Government has been a funding option to the Federal Government to cater for short-term or emergency finance to fund delayed government expected cash receipt of fiscal deficit.

“The Ways and Means balances as of 19th December, 2022, is N23,719,703,774,306.90

“I have approved the securitisation of the Ways and Means balances along the following terms: amount, N23.7tn; tenure, 40 years; moratorium on principal repayment, 3 years; pricing interest rate, 9 per cent.

“Your concurrence and approval is sought to allow for the implementation of the same.”

Consideration of the presidential was stalled at the Senate as the proposal met stiff opposition in the chamber.

President of the Senate, Ahmad Lawan, after meeting with Buhari, had said the lawmakers would reconsider the request and pass the WMAs.