…Shehu Sani, Nasir El-Rufai React over Money Laundering, other Charges
From Daniel Attah, Kaduna
The report submitted by the ad hoc committee set up by the Kaduna State House of Assembly to investigate all finances, loans and contracts awarded under the former governor, Nasir El-Rufai raised serious allegations of abuse of office, money laundering and corrupt practices.
While former Senator Shehu Sani asserts that he feels vindicated by the allegations against El-Rufai, the former governor dismissed all the allegations, saying that his administration has a remarkable record of integrity and competent governance.
The Chairman of the ad hoc committee, Henry Zacharia while presenting the report during plenary session, said most of the loans obtained under the El-Rufai’s administration between 2015 and 2023, were not used for the purpose for which they were obtained.
The Chairman, who also the Deputy Speaker of the House, noted that in some cases, due process was not followed in securing the loans during the administration of the former governor.
While receiving the report, the Speaker of the Kaduna House of Assembly, Yusuf Liman, said that a total N423 billion was siphoned by the El-Rufai’s administration while leaving the state with huge liabilities.
Consequently, the committee recommended the investigation and prosecution of El-Rufai, some other indicted members of his cabinet by security and anti-corruption agencies for abuse of office through the award of contracts without due process, diversion of public funds and money laundering as well as plaguing Kaduna State into heavy debt.
The committee also recommended the immediate suspension of the Kaduna State Commissioner of Finance, Shizer Badda, who also served in the same capacity under the El-Rufai’s administration, as well the chairman of the state universal basic education board.
It also recommended thorough investigation of some key appointees of the last administration by appropriate law enforcement and anti-corruption agencies.
The committee set up by the Kaduna State House of Assembly was tasked with the assignment of examining loans, grants and projects implementation from 2015 to 2023 during which El-Rufai served as governor of the state.
The Newsupdate reports that the probe by the state Assembly was necessitated following the lamentation of the incumbent Governor of Kaduna State, Uba Sani, that El-Rufai left him a huge debt profile.
Sani, who spoke during a town hall meeting in Kaduna, said he inherited a lean treasury, adding that he could not pay workers’ salaries.
Sani said, “Despite the huge debt burden of N587m, N85bn, and N115bn contractual liabilities sadly inherited from the previous administration, we remain resolute in steering Kaduna State towards progress and sustainable development.
“We have conducted a thorough assessment of our situation and are sharpening our focus accordingly.”
The revelation by Sani had generated reactions from several quarters, including El-Rufai’s son, Bashir, who took to his social media handle and accused his father’s successor of shying away from his responsibility.”.
According to the Report submitted by the Ad-Hoc Committee on Fact-Finding on Loans, Financial Transactions, Contractual Liabilities & Other Related Matters of the Kaduna State Government, from 2015 to 2023, on the floor of Kaduna State House of Assembly the alleged ffinancial misappropriation said to have taken place during Nasir El-Rufai’s eight years’ tenure include:
– Over N423bn siphoned from Kaduna State between 2015-2023.
– Ministry of Finance in collaboration with KADIRS siphoned & stole N30B from the state IGR account.
– $1.4m also withdrawn illegally.
– A total of about N62B to be refunded to the Kaduna State Government.
– A total of N4.9bn cash was illegally withdrawn from the accounts of the Kaduna State government.
“I HAVE BEEN VINDICATED” SAYS SHEHU SANI
Senator Shehu Sani who represented the Kaduna Central Senatorial District in the 8th National Assembly, said on Wednesday that he has been vindicated following the indictment of the immediate past governor of the state, Malam Nasir El-Rufai by the State House of Assembly.
The Newsupdate reports that ad hoc committee set up by the Kaduna State House of Assembly to investigate all finances, loans and contracts awarded under the former governor, Nasir El-Rufai, on Wednesday, submitted it’s report to the House.
The Committee indicted the former governor saying that most of the loans obtained under the El-Rufai’s administration between 2015 and 2023, were not used for the purpose for which they were obtained.
The Committee led by Hon. Henry Zacharia, who’s also the Deputy Speaker of the House, recommended the prosecution of El-Rufai, some other indicted members of his cabinet by security and anti-corruption agencies for abuse of office and money laundering while in office as well as plaguing Kaduna State into heavy debt.
But Sani, took to his verified X platform(formerly Twitter), saying he was the only lone voice speaking against the systematic looting of public funds embarked upon by the El-Rufai’s administration.
He said other politicians in the state were intimidated and silenced while he remained steadfast and refused to be silenced by the El-rufai’s government.
He added that his life was persecuted while several attempts were made on his life and that of several supporters.
Sani, a human rights activist, twitted this: “For eight years, I stood alone telling the people of Kaduna State and the country how our state was systematically looted by the Governor and the criminal gang around him.
“The People inside and outside the state were deceived with aesthetics and industrial scale propaganda.
“They wrecked the economy of the state, enriched themselves and their families, destroyed the lives and livelihoods of millions of people and used religion to divide our state.
“I was persecuted and many attempts were made on my life and that of my supporters.
“Many politicians in the state were silenced out of fear of arrest, attacks by thugs or having their properties confiscated or demolished.
“I refused to be silenced. The Kaduna Assembly report is a vindication.”
Recall that the probe by the state Assembly was necessitated following the lamentation of the incumbent Governor of Kaduna State, Uba Sani, that El-Rufai left him a huge debt profile.
Sani, who spoke during a town hall meeting in Kaduna, said he inherited a lean treasury, adding that he could not pay workers’ salaries.
Sani said, “Despite the huge debt burden of N587m, N85bn, and N115bn contractual liabilities sadly inherited from the previous administration, we remain resolute in steering Kaduna State towards progress and sustainable development.
“We have conducted a thorough assessment of our situation and are sharpening our focus accordingly.”
The revelation by Sani had generated reactions from several quarters, including El-Rufai’s son, Bashir, who took to his social media handle and accused his father’s successor of shying away from his responsibility.” ENDS…
EL-RUFAI DISMISSES KDHA REPORT, SAYS “I SERVED WITH INTEGRITY”
Immediate past governor of Kaduna State, Malam Nasir El-rufai says on Wednesday responded to his indictment of the State House of Assembly probing his 8-year administration in the state.
El-Rufai said he led a government of integrity and competent governance between May 29, 2015 and May 29th 2023 when he governed the state.
In an apparent reference to the his indictment by the ad hoc committee of the Kaduna State House of Assembly, El-Rufai’s Special Adviser on Media and Communication, Muyiwa Adekeye, affirmed his principal’s integrity while dismissing what he described as a “scandalous claims being aired as the report of the committee.”
El-Rufai’s reaction made available to Newsupdate online, read:”We are aware of news that the Kaduna State House of Assembly has adopted the report of the ad-hoc committee it asked to probe the El-Rufai government.
“We have not been availed a copy of the report, to which we would respond robustly whenever we obtain it. We affirm the integrity of the El-Rufai government and dismiss the scandalous claims being aired as the report of the committee.
“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 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.
“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 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 Newsupdateng reports that the probe by the state Assembly was necessitated following the lamentation of the incumbent Governor of Kaduna State, Uba Sani, that El-Rufai left him a huge debt profile.
Sani, who spoke during a town hall meeting in Kaduna, said he inherited a lean treasury, adding that he could not pay workers’ salaries.
Sani said, “Despite the huge debt burden of N587m, N85bn, and N115bn contractual liabilities sadly inherited from the previous administration, we remain resolute in steering Kaduna State towards progress and sustainable development.
“We have conducted a thorough assessment of our situation and are sharpening our focus accordingly.”
The revelation by Sani had generated reactions from several quarters, including El-Rufai’s son, Bashir, who took to his social media handle and accused his father’s successor of shying away from his responsibility.”
Meanwhile, ad hoc committee set up by the Kaduna State House of Assembly to investigate all finances, loans and contracts awarded under the former governor, Nasir El-Rufai, on Wednesday, submitted it’s report to the House.
The Committee indicated the former governor saying that most of the loans obtained under the El-Rufai’s administration between 2015 and 2023, were not used for the purpose for which they were obtained.
The Committee led by Hon. Henry Zacharia, who’s also the Deputy Speaker of the House, recommended the prosecution of El-Rufai, some other indicted members of his cabinet by security and anti-corruption agencies for abuse of office and money laundering while in office as well as plaguing Kaduna State into heavy debt.
