Ex-Kaduna Speaker Yusuf Zailani Denies Approving $350m World Bank Loan During El-Rufai’s Tenure
A former Speaker of the Kaduna State House of Assembly, Yusuf Zailani, has denied claims that the Ninth Assembly under his leadership approved the $350m World Bank loan obtained by former Governor Nasir El-Rufai.
The Kaduna State House of Assembly, on Tuesday, set up a fact-finding committee to probe all finances, loans and contract projects awarded, as well as other financial spending and abandoned projects initiated by the immediate past government, between 2015 to 2023, under El-Rufai’s administration.
The speaker of the assembly, Yusuf Liman, inaugurated the 13-man committee during plenary on Tuesday.
The constitution of the committee followed a motion moved by the member representing the Kauru Constituency, Mugu Yusuf, asking the House to investigate all the loans obtained by the El-Rufai administration.
Recall that Governor Uba Sani, during a town hall meeting recently, lamented the huge debt inherited from his predecessor, El-Rufai, on May 29, 2023.
Sani had said the state was left with a few amounts, not enough to pay salary, adding that his administration inherited a total of $587 million, N85 billion loans, and 115 contractual liabilities from the ex-governor.
However, while defending allegations that the house under his leadership, approved the $350m World Bank loan obtained by El-Rufai, Zailani, in a video posted on X on Wednesday, by the Senior Special Assistant on Media and Strategic Communications to the Speaker, Kaduna State House of Assembly, Mal. Suraj Bamalli, the former Speaker insisted that he did not approve the loan.
He spoke on the floor of the assembly.
He said, “I have been waiting for this day, and the day is today. My fight was not to give approvals of loans. Some of my colleagues were around, and 6 still members of this hallowed chamber, including Isaac Auta Zankhai, the former deputy speaker. They said I should approve the loans. I said no, we need to know how many loans we have.”
Recall that besides probing all finances, loans and contract projects awarded by El-rufai’s administration, the State Assembly also mandated the committee to invite notable personalities including former speakers of the 8th and 9th Assemblies, commissioners of finance, former Managing Directors of Kaduna Markets, and Commissioners of Budget and Planning, among others.
