El-Rufai’s Former Aides Rubbish Kaduna Assembly Allegations

Some former aides of ex-Governor of Kaduna State, Nasir El-Rufai, have again faulted the Kaduna State House of Assembly over the latter’s claim that the El-Rufai administration allegedly siphoned ₦432bn leaving the state with huge debt liabilities.

Some members of the Kaduna State Executive Council between 2015 and 2023, in a statement on Tuesday, rubbished all the allegations levelled against the former governor by the Assembly.

The statement was jointly signed by former Commissioner of Environment, Jafaru Sani, Hafsat Baba (ex-commissioner, Ministry of Human Services), Thomas Gyang (Public Works and Infrastructure), Bashir Saidu ( Ministry of Finance), Ibrahim Husaini (Ministry of Agriculture), Aisha Dikko (Ministry of Justice), Fausat Ibikunle (Ministry of Housing and Urban Development), and Idris Nyam, ex-commissioner, Ministry of Business, Innovation and Technology.

They said, “Malam Nasir El-Rufai was not invited by the Ad-hoc Committee which made certain claims against him. As you are aware, he has approached the Federal High Court for the enforcement of his fundamental rights as a citizen who is entitled to be given a fair hearing before his rights can be determined by a quasi-judicial or investigative body or courts in line with the provisions of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 (as amended) and the African Charter on Human and Peoples Rights.

“As senior officials in the El-Rufai Administration, which served the people of Kaduna State between May 2015 and May 2023, we restate our pride in the dedication and integrity of our service. We have previously described the Report circulating on social media as an unprofessional document, tainted by bias, exhibiting no serious interest in establishing facts.

“It is apparent to that the Report is riddled with inaccuracies and instances of falsification and misrepresentation of the testimonies provided by invited officials. There is a dissonance between its recommendations and the testimonies the Ad-hoc Committee heard.

“It bears restating that its conclusions seem to have been decided beforehand and were insulated from the facts. The Report is an attempt to inflict maximum reputational damage on certain selected members of the Kaduna State Executive Council, Class of 2015-2023. A litany of smears dressed up as an investigative Report.

“On Page 169, the Ad-hoc Committee declared “that the total amount of moneys siphoned by the Government of Kaduna State from 29th May 2015 to 29th May 2023 is N423,115,028,072.88”. Quite aside from the comical claim that a government siphoned money, nowhere in the Report is the trail of the allegedly siphoned funds shown.

“The Report does not show how they arrived at this figure, and how they decided that money had been siphoned, how it was done, from which accounts and to where. They just decreed a figure and declared it! This is the Ad-hoc Committee in action, indulging in voodoo accounting just to concoct a scandal.”

Earlier in June, the ad hoc committee set up by the state Assembly to investigate all finances, loans and contracts awarded under the El-Rufai administration submitted its report to the House.

The chairman of the ad hoc committee, Henry Zacharia, said most of the loans obtained under the El-Rufai’s administration were not used for the purpose for which they were obtained, while in some cases, due process was not followed in securing the loans.

The Speaker of the Assembly, Yusuf Liman, also said that a total ₦423 billion was allegedly siphoned by the El-Rufai’s administration leaving the state with huge liabilities.

The committee, therefore, recommended the investigation and prosecution of El-Rufai, and some members of his cabinet by security and anti-corruption agencies for alleged abuse of office, diversion of public funds and money laundering.

The committee also recommended the immediate suspension of the Commissioner of Finance, Shizer Badda, who also served in the same capacity under the El-Rufai’s administration.

The ex-governor has challenged the allegations in court and the suit has been slated for July 17, 2024.