N9b loan: Bakare’s critics envious of his successes – Lagos ex-guber candidate, Mumuni

The 2011 gubernatorial candidate of the defunct Congress for Progressive Change (CPC) in Lagos State, Ambassador Abayomi Nurain Mumuni has advised Nigerians to desist from criticizing Pastor Tunde Bakare for collecting loan to build his church.

Mumuni described those who have been escalating the matter as enemies of Bakare, who are envious of his successes.

It could be recalled that Bakare contested as Vice Presidential candidate on the platform of CPC when President Muhammadu Buhari contested as Presidential candidate of the party in the year 2011.

The general overseer of Citadel Global Community Church formerly known as Latter Rain Assembly, Pastor Bakare, has been reported in the media to be swimming in debt of N9 billion loan which he allegedly collected from a commercial bank.

But, Mumuni, while reacting, said those behind the circulation of the news were Pastor Bakare’s adversaries who were not only envious of his successes but wants to embarrass him.

He said there was no crime in collecting loan, especially for businesses.

The former CPC gubernatorial candidate added that the former Vice President candidate of the defunct CPC had something tangible and worthwhile to show for the loan.

Mumuni in a statement made available to DAILY POST in Ibadan on Wednesday, said, “I have read with great disappointment the needless and unnecessary dragging of Pastor Tunde Bakare on social media over loan he collected from banks to build cathedral, a combination of worship and business edifices.

“It is a common practice that individuals and cooperate bodies and multi-national companies get loans from financial institutions that comes with terms, including method of payment.

“What could have been issue of concern is if it’s established that he doesn’t want to pay his loan but it’s in public domain that he has started paying the loan, he reportedly took from five banks.

“Even several countries in the world, including the US, have debt with the World Bank. The US loan is huge. What I am trying to say is that people take loans for business and other projects without public or social media trial. It should not be an issue once you are able to repay the loan.

“Is he the only person owing? Why him? We live in the same country where people masquerade around without any family inheritance, but, possessing multiple private jets, without verifiable source, only through loans. But this is a man who has built an edifice, section of it for worship and another section for commercial which could have generated the money borrowed if not for COVID-19 pandemic.

“It is in the public domain that he collected loan from 5 banks to build the cathedral. The process is very transparent, and as a matter of fact, as far back as October, he revealed that he has started paying some of the banks”.