Protesters storm NASS over Buhari’s Edo loan request

The request sent to the Senate by President
Muhammadu Buhari for approval of a $75 million
loan request by Edo State may be running into
turbulent waters, as protesters, on Wednesday,
stormed the National Assembly, urging legislators
not to approve the request by the Edo State
government.
President Muhammadu Buhari had on Tuesday,
August 4, 2015 written to the National Assembly
seeking the approval of the loan being the second
tranche of the $ 225 million World Bank granted
the Edo State government under the 2012-2014
external borrowings.
The protesters displayed placards at the main
entrance of the National Assembly, with some of
the placards reading: “Don’t approve the loan”, ”
We don’t want loan” and ” We want action”.
They stormed the assembly at about 10.a.m. when
Senators were going in for the day’s legislative
duties.
In the same vein, the Senate, on Wednesday,
referred the request to its Standing Committee on
Local and Foreign Debts.
The motion for the loan request was moved by the
Senate leader, Senator Mohammed Ali Ndume, and
it was seconded by Senator Philip Tanimu Aduda
of the FCT.
Ruling on the motion, the Senate President,
Senator Abubakar Bukola Saraki, granted Ndume’s
request and referred it to the committee on debts.