The Kaduna State House of Assembly has accused former Governor Nasir El-Rufai and his team of stealing N423 billion.
The accusation came after an ad hoc committee, set up to investigate the past administration’s finances, loans, and contracts, submitted its report on Wednesday.
The committee claimed that many loans were not used as intended, and due process was often ignored.
El-Rufai quickly denied the claims through his media aide, Muyiwa Adekeye, calling the report false and scandalous.
Adekeye said they had not received a copy of the report, but would respond strongly once they did. He affirmed that El-Rufai’s government maintained integrity and dismissed the accusations as baseless.
To this effect, the Assembly has asked the current Governor, Uba Sani, to involve security agencies in investigating El-Rufai and his aides.
The probe began in April, led by Deputy Speaker Henry Danjuma, following Governor Sani’s complaints about the heavy debt left by the previous administration.
Sani mentioned the state was left with debts totaling $587 million, N85 billion, and unpaid contracts, making it hard to pay workers’ salaries.
During the Assembly session, Danjuma presented findings that many loans under El-Rufai were not used for their intended purposes, and contracts were often awarded without following proper procedures.
Speaker Yusuf Liman stated that the El-Rufai administration misappropriated N423 billion, resulting in significant financial burdens for the state.
The committee also alleged that El-Rufai authorized large cash withdrawals in naira and dollars without proper documentation. They accused him of working with commissioners and other officials to bypass due process in contract payments.
The report called for a thorough investigation by law enforcement agencies into the activities of several government departments and recommended that certain officials step aside during the investigation.
Additionally, it suggested that contractors who were overpaid or failed to complete projects should return N36.3 billion to the state.
Beyond Boders also gathered that El-Rufai’s media aide, Adekeye, defended the former governor’s record, stating that El-Rufai served with integrity and followed all laws during his time in office.
He dismissed the probe as a politically motivated attack and reassured that El-Rufai’s achievements in Kaduna State were genuine and commendable.
Adekeye emphasized, “Malam El-Rufai wishes to assure discerning Nigerians that he has served Kaduna State with integrity and to the best of his capacity, assisted by a hard-working and patriotic team.”
