Former governor of Kaduna State, Nasir El-Rufai has dismissed the report of the State House of Assembly that indicted his administration, describing the report as a politically motivated hatchet job.
El-Rufai’s spokesman, Muyiwa Adekeye, in a statement issued yesterday, said the former governor led a government of integrity and competence during his eight-year administration.
Adekeye affirmed the integrity of the El-Rufai government and dismissed as “scandalous” the claims by the committee.
He said, “Malam Nasir El-Rufai is immensely proud of his record of governance and the legacy he left in Kaduna State. This record of consistently high performance in public and private office cannot be altered by any malicious effort to use the auspices of a state legislature for defamation and undeserved smears.
“Many of the officials who served in the El-Rufai government appeared before the ad-hoc committee because of their confidence in the quality of their service and the rectitude with which they served Kaduna State. They were under no illusion that they were participating in a fair process. It was obvious that the ad hoc committee was merely going through the motions of an inquiry just to give some gloss to predetermined conclusions.
“It is sad to see such a shameful departure from any notion of decency and fairness by a state legislature. We dismiss with contempt the claims being peddled in connection with the report.”
According to him, Malam El-Rufai served Kaduna State with integrity and to the best of his capacity, assisted by a hardworking and patriotic team.
“He complied with all extant laws in all his activities while he was the governor. This jaundiced probe should be disregarded as the politically motivated hatchet job it is,” the statement concluded.
Earlier, the ad-hoc committee set up to investigate all finances, loans, and contracts awarded under the former governor, Mallam Nasir Ahmed El-Rufai, the Kaduna State House of Assembly has found several of his commissioners and aides wanting and asked that anti-graft agencies probe them.
The House alleged that N423 billion of state resources were siphoned under the El-Rufa’i government and asked the incumbent governor, Uba Sani, to refer the former governor, former commissioners of finance, and other indicted aides to the relevant security agencies for investigation.
Presenting the report during plenary yesterday, the chairman of the ad hoc committee and deputy speaker of the House, Hon. Henry Magaji Danjuma, said that most of the loans obtained under El-Rufai’s administration were not used for their intended purposes, and in some cases due process was not followed in securing the loans.
After receiving the report, the Speaker, Yusuf Liman, said that the El-Rufai administration siphoned off a total of N423 billion, leaving the state with huge liabilities.
The report, which was immediately adopted and its recommendations forwarded to the state governor for immediate action, read that the former Kaduna governor authorised humongous withdrawals of cash, both in naira and dollars, from the state’s coffers, with no records of utilisation, denying the state the needed resources for development.
It also alleged that El-Rufa’i was complicit in activities with commissioners and heads of parastatals to defraud the state by issuing directives to Kaduna Public Procurement Agency (KADPPA) to circumvent due process in the payment of contractors vide letter dated June 21, 2021.
According to the committee, former Governor el-Rufa’i breached his oath of office and plunged “the state into unwanted, unjustified, and fraudulent domestic and foreign debts over and above the total loans obtained by Kaduna State from 1965 to 1999 and the majority of which were obtained without due process.
It accused the former governor of having engaged in reckless awards of contracts without due process and execution which led to several abandoned projects despite payments.
It also accused him of authorising the humongous withdrawals of cash, both in Naira and Dollars with no records of utilisation which denied the state of the needed resources for development.
“Diversion of funds and money laundering contrary to all extant Laws and regulations and accordingly should be referred to the Law Enforcement agencies for in-depth investigation and appropriate action,” it added.
The committee said some contractors were overpaid while some others collected money without executing the assigned projects.
Thus, the committee recommended that the implicated contractors should refund a total sum of N36.3 billion, which comprises monies paid for work either not done, overpaid, or diverted, to the Kaduna State government.
The committee also recommended that the current commissioner for finance, chairman of the State Universal Basic Education Board (SUBEB), and executive secretary of the State Pension Bureau step aside to allow for proper investigations into the ministry’s and agencies’ activities, among other recommendations.
After the report was adopted, the Speaker directed the Assembly clerk to immediately transmit the House’s recommendations to Governor Uba Sani and urged the governor to implement them diligently.
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