Former aides of former Kaduna State Governor, Nasir El-Rufai, have responded to allegations that the current administration, led by Governor Uba Sani, has been utilizing foreign loans arranged by the previous government.
According to The PUNCH, these ex-officials refuted claims that El-Rufai’s administration mismanaged N423 billion in state funds, describing the accusations from the Kaduna State House of Assembly as unfounded and irresponsible.
The rebuttal was presented in a joint statement signed by former commissioners Jafaru Sani, Environment, Hafsat Baba, Human Services, Thomas Gyang, Public Works and Infrastructure, Bashir Saidu, Finance, Ibrahim Husaini, Agriculture, Aisha Dikko, Justice, Fausat Ibikunle, Housing and Urban Development, and Idris Nyam, Business, Innovation and Technology on Tuesday.
An ad-hoc committee from the Kaduna State House of Assembly had investigated the finances, loans, and contracts under El-Rufai’s tenure, ultimately accusing him and his aides of misappropriating N423 billion.
The assembly adopted the report from the 13-member panel and recommended that Governor Sani refer El-Rufai and his associates to the relevant security agencies for investigation. Following this, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission initiated an investigation into the alleged fraud.
Addressing fresh allegations about foreign loan disbursements, former Environment Commissioner Jafaru Sani stated that the report exaggerated the loans contracted and disbursed before May 2023.
He emphasized that many loans listed in the probe report were not disbursed during El-Rufai’s administration.
Sani explained, “Some loans were negotiated and agreed upon as part of the aspirations for the progress and development of the state. However, disbursement of several of these loans listed in the (probe report pages 112-116) had not commenced by the time of the exit of the El-Rufai administration in May 2023.”
He cited specific loans such as a $280 million loan for the Rural Access and Agricultural Marketing Project and a $150 million loan from the African Development Bank for the Kaduna Special Agro-Processing Zone, neither of which had commenced disbursement by May 2023.
Further, Sani clarified that the $130.7 million loan for the Kaduna Bus Rapid Transport System was provided by the French Development Agency, not the African Development Bank, and no funds were disbursed before the end of El-Rufai’s administration.
The statement highlighted other loans arranged by El-Rufai’s administration now being utilized by Sani’s government, including a $20 million loan for the Livestock Productivity and Resilience Support Project and a $62.8 million loan for the Reaching-Out-of-School Children project.
It noted discrepancies in the report, stating, “The (probe) report also listed some loans as fully disbursed when they were only partly disbursed during the El-Rufai administration. These include ACReSAL: Only $2m was received by the Kaduna State Government for the Agro-Climatic Resilience Semi-Arid Landscapes before May 2023, all of which was left intact for the successor government.”
Sani also disputed the claimed disbursement of $494 million XDR, stating, “Only $23.88m was received for AGILE as of May 2023, not the $280m stated in the report.”
He added that as of December 2022, the Adolescent Girls Initiative for Learning and Empowerment had made significant progress, funding major and minor renovations in schools and receiving recognition for its implementation efforts.
Moreover, the ex-cabinet members noted that $352,855 was disbursed to the state in June 2023, for the Sustainable Urban and Rural Water Supply, Sanitation, and Hygiene programme, after the El-Rufai administration’s exit.
