…Demand power of attorney on signed loans from AGF
House of Representatives committee on treaties, agreements and protocols has formally communicated its resolution to Minister of Justice and Attorney General of the Federation, Abubakar Malami, and his counterpart in Finance, Budget and National Planning Ministry, Mrs Zainab Ahmed, asking them to appear before it on Tuesday, next week.
It will be recalled that the Committee which adjourned for one week on Tuesday to study documents submitted by various ministries also decided to widen their investigation in the procedures of obtaining and implementing the $500 million Chinese Loans to Nigeria to fund the Lagos-Ibadan rail lines, hence the questioning of the two ministers.
Malami and Ahmed would join the Transportation Minister, Hon. Rotimi Amaechi, Minister of Federal Capital Territory, FCT, Mohammed Bello, Minister of Power, Babatunde Fashola, and that of Communications and Digital Economy, Dr Ali Pantami, who had earlier appeared twice.
The invitation was contained in two separate letters dated August 18, 2020, and addressed to the ministers and signed by the chairman of the committee, Hon. Ossai Nicholas Ossai.
The letters with reference no: NASS/9HR/CT.102/04 for AGF and NASS/HR/10/CTPA/110/07/095B for finance minister requested for the following documents.
The ministers were also asked to come with relevant documents.
For Malami, the Committee asked for the official documents of the power of Attorney for signing the loans as prescribed in appendix 3 of the loan agreements, certified official copies of the legal opinion given on all facilities as prescribed in appendix 6 of the loans agreements.
He is also expected to submit official documents of the power of Attorney for the appointment of the borrowers process agent on all loan agreements as prescribed in appendix 7 as well as official confirmation letter by the appointed borrowers’ process agents prescribed in appendix 8 of the loan agreements.
Official copies of Attorney General of the Federation authorisation of the loan agreements were also needed from the Minister.
In the same view, the minister of finance, Zainab Ahmed, was requested to submit all official certified documents of conditions precedent to the first drawdown of the loan facilities as prescribed in Appendix 1 of the loan agreements.
The demands of the committee read thus: “All certified official documents of conditions precedent for each drawdown after the first drawdown as required in Appendix 2 of the loan agreements.
“Official documents of the power of Attorney for Signing the Loans as prescribed in appendix 3 of the loan agreements.
“Official documents of power of Attorney for drawdowns as prescribed in appendix 4 of the loan agreements.
“Certified copies of all irrevocable notices of drawdown on all the loan facilities as prescribed in the appendix 5 of the loan agreements.
“Certified official copies of the Legal Opinion given on all the loan facilities as prescribed in appendix 6 of the loan agreements.
“Official documents of the power of attorney for the appointment of the Borrower’s process agent on all loan agreements as prescribed in Appendix 7.
“Official confirmation letter by the appointed borrower’s process agents as prescribed in appendix 8 of the loan agreements.
“Official copies of notices of effectiveness of the loan agreements issued on all the loan facilities as prescribed in appendix 9 of the loan agreements.
“Official certified copies of repayments schedule submitted by Nigeria and accepted by the leader before the effective date of the loan agreements and official copies of the Attorney General of the federation authorization of the loan agreements”.
The Committee which had already made some alarming discoveries such as sovereignty clause in the loan agreements is also expected to interrogate other heads of agencies such as the Debt Management Office Director-General, Mrs Patience Oniha who had earlier submitted 3 out of 14 documents demanded of her on the matter next week.
