Ebonyi State House of Assembly has given its nod for the State Governor, Engr. Dave Umahi, to access N8 billion loans from the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN).

The loans include N4.4 billion salary arrears bail-out fund, N2 billion CBN loan to rice producing states to boost rice production and another N2 billion for Micro-Small and Medium Enterprises development.

The House granted the approval during its sitting yesterday.

According to statement by the Special Adviser (Media) to the Speaker of the House, Mr. Tony Nwizi, the governor’s requests to access the loans were contained in the letters he sent to the House seeking the approval of the lawmakers.

During the plenary, the lawmakers were unanimous that the governor’s requests were timely, adding that he should be given express permission to enable him to provide Ebonyi with the required human resource, agricultural and micro small and medium enterprise development.

After an exhaustive deliberation in the committee of the whole, the Speaker, Rt. Hon. Francis Nwifuru, put the motions to vote and they were unanimously adopted.

The House also screened the Governor’s nominees for appointment as Chairman and Members of Ebonyi State Fiscal Responsibility Commission where the immediate past member of the House, Hon. Vincent Nwibo was nominated as chairman.

•Photo shows Governor Umahi.