The ad hoc committee established by the Kaduna State House of Assembly to scrutinise the finances, loans, and contracts awarded during the tenure of former governor Nasir El-Rufai has submitted its findings.
The ad hoc committee was tasked with examining loans, grants, and project implementations from 2015 to 2023, the period during which El-Rufai served as governor.
News About Nigeria reports that during the plenary session on Wednesday, committee chairman Henry Zacharia revealed that many loans obtained under El-Rufai’s administration were misappropriated, with some not adhering to due process.
“The loans were often not utilised for their intended purposes, and proper procedures were frequently ignored in securing these loans,” Zacharia reported.
Speaker of the Kaduna House of Assembly, Yusuf Liman, received the report and disclosed that the El-Rufai administration allegedly syphoned a total of N423 billion, leaving the state with huge liabilities.
The committee’s report recommended that former Governor El-Rufai and other implicated cabinet members face investigation and prosecution by security and anti-corruption agencies.
The allegations include abuse of office, awarding contracts without due process, diverting public funds, money laundering, and plunging Kaduna State into substantial debt.
Additionally, the committee called for the immediate suspension of Kaduna State Commissioner of Finance, Shizer Badda, who held the same position under El-Rufai’s administration, and the chairman of the state universal basic education board.
The report also urged thorough investigations of several key appointees from the previous administration by appropriate law enforcement and anti-corruption agencies.
Recently, there has been tension between El-Rufai and his successor, Uba Sani, over the state’s financial situation.
In March, Governor Sani complained about the heavy debt burden inherited from El-Rufai’s administration, making it challenging to pay workers’ salaries.
Sani claimed his government inherited significant debts and contractual liabilities amounting to $587 million, N85 billion, and 115 contractual liabilities from El-Rufai’s time in office.
In reaction, Bashir El-Rufai, the son of the ex-governor, criticised Sani for allegedly neglecting his duties as governor and accused him of surrounding himself with incompetent aides.
He suggested that Sani was avoiding responsibility by blaming others for the state’s challenges.
Aisha Galadima, an ally of the former governor, also slammed Sani for the comment on the state’s finances.
For that, she was arrested by the Department of State Services (DSS) but has been released.
When questioned after her release, Galadima said that she was harassed and beaten during her time in custody.
