$350m loan: We can’t be intimidated, says Kaduna gov’t

Youths protest over ‘Not Too Young To Run’ bill

The Kaduna State government has reacted to the rejection by the Senate, of a $350 million loan it sought from the World Bank, saying no amount of intimidation would stop it from developing the state.

The Senate had Thursday turned down the request on the grounds that the total debt profile of Kaduna State cannot sustain further borrowing.

The Commissioner for Finance, Suleiman Abdu Kwari, who reacted on behalf of the state government, said the reasons given by the senate were weak as it pandered to the ego of a few senators.

The commissioner added that there were processes to be concluded at the National Assembly over the loan which involved voting for or against by each lawmaker before final rejection or A coalition of 54 youth organisations across the country under the auspices of the ‘Not Too Young to Run Movement’ has protested over the delayed transmission of the age reduction bill on contesting for political office (also known as ‘Not Too Young to Run Bill’) to President Muhammadu Buhari for assent.

The eventual signing of the bill into law after the amendment acceptance of the loan.

Kwari said the state government had gone through much to secure the approval of the National Assembly, hence had not lost hope that it was achievable. passed by the National Assembly and 35 state assemblies will reduce the qualifying age of president candidates from 40 to 35, while the age for governors and senate was retained at 35, among others.

A convener, and Executive Director of the Youth Initiative for Advocacy Growth and Advancement (YIAGA-Africa), Samson Itodo said yesterday that the movement was agitated, as the delay portends danger for aspiring youth.