Senate rejection of Buhari’s $29.9bn loan stands — Saraki

Senate President, Bukola Saraki yesterday said Senate rejection of the $29.9billion loan request by President Muhammadu Buhari stands, saying his visits to the Presidency have no connection with issue.

The Senate had November 1 thrown out the request of President Buhari to take $29.9billion foreign loan for the turnaround of the country’s health, power, railway, roads, education, water resources among others.

Saraki had visited the Presidency thrice since the rejection of the loan request. He met with President Buhari twice and Vice President Yemi Osinbajo once.

Saraki in a statement by his Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Yusuph Olaniyonu said in all his recent meetings with President Buhari and Osinbajo, the issue of the proposed loan has never come up for discussion.

Saraki while advising politicians and the media to stop peddling what he tagged as,”empty speculations about his recent visits to the Presidential Villa” noted that the comments by politicians on the loan was “unfortunate”.

“Like I once told the media, these politicallymotivated commentaries are trivialising a serious national issue and presenting it as if it is a personal matter that can be decided at meetings between Saraki and President Buhari”, he stated.

Reaffirming the rejection of the loan, Saraki said, “The National Assembly which I head as Senate President has taken a position on the issue as required of it by the laws of the land and legislative conventions.”