Mr Frank Tietie, Executive Director, Citizens Advocacy for Social and Economic Rights (CASER) has written the Zenith Bank and the Delta State Commissioner  of Finance, using the Freedom of Information Act (FOI), requesting the terms and conditions to the application by the Delta State Government for a N150 billion loan request from the Zenith Bank.

Tietie said this in a statement made available to newsmen in Abuja on Wednesday.

He said that the request was made in the public interest and particularly on behalf of citizens of Delta State.

“CASER in the exercise of the right to access information pursuant to the relevant provisions of the Freedom of Information Act, hereby writes to request for all the relevant documents showing the terms and conditions relating and attached to the much-publicised application by the Delta State Government for a loan sum of 150 billion naira from Zenith Bank Plc.

“This Request is made in the public interest and particularly on behalf of citizens of Delta State who have expressed beliefs that some of the arrangements and processes associated with the said loan transaction are manifestly tainted with corruption, self-interest and clearly against future financial stability of the state.

” Thereby negating the interest of the people of Delta State in general,” he said.

He added that the information requested was important to either confirm or debunk the presumption of corruption and to offer opportunity to the public to make inputs and suggestions to the overall interest of the government and people of the state. 

He added that CASER would undertake by the request to pay all such appropriate and reasonable fees where necessary to facilitate the urgent obtainment of the information herein requested.

It would be recalled that the Delta State Government on April 27 gave reasons for its N150 billion loan facility request sent to the State House of Assembly by Governor Ifeanyi Okowa to ally fears that the money might be spent by the government on activities relating to the forthcoming general election in the country.