The unending rift between President Muhammadu Buhari and the Senate President, Bukola Saraki is causing some major challenges as a World Bank loan sought by Edo state has been stalled because of the so called rift.
The development loan, which is in the finals stage of approval requires a country guarantee that, by the country’s laws, must be approved by the senate before it can be granted by the World Bank.
The president will write to the senate to get approval, and the letter will be read on the floor and subjected to a motion before it can be get parliamentary go-ahead.
But Buhari, who is still very bitter with the emergence of Saraki as senate president and has kept him at arm’s length did not write the letter to the senate.
Instead, the letter was written by the head of service. Danladi Kifasi and addressed to the senate president, but the senate wrote back to Kifasi pointing out the procedural error, which can be challenged in court.
According to investigation, Kifasi, who deals with civil service matters, does not have any role to play in securing a country guarantee for a foreign loan.
Buhari’s failure to write the letter was initially seen as part of a suspected decision to isolate Saraki and force him to leave his position.
But Buhari recently wrote to the senate seeking the screening of the newly appointed service chiefs in what may be a signal that he has finally acknowledged that he needs to deal directly with the senate president for now, even if against his wish.
It was further learnt that Buhari is yet to write directly to the senate on the proposed Edo loan. The $70 million facility will be repayable under the International Development Association (IDA) terms which are concessionary and spread over at least 20 years.
