Kaduna, Nigeria
The committee of the Kaduna House of Assembly set up to look into the alleged corruption and financial irregularities during the tenure of the immediate past Governor Nasir El-Rufai, has submitted its report.
Henry Zacharia, chairperson of the ad hoc committee, presented the report during the House plenary on Wednesday.
The House tasked the committee with investigating loans, grants, and project implementation from 2015 to 2023.
According to the committee in its report, most loans obtained during El-Rufai’s administration were diverted as they were not used for their intended purposes.
The committee also said due process was not followed in securing some of the loans by El-Rufai’s administration.
The report indicated that El-Rufai and his cabinet members abused their offices, awarded contracts without due process, diverted public funds, and money laundering.
It also criticised the excessive borrowing during El-Rufai’s tenure, which has plunged Kaduna State into heavy debt.
Speaker of the Kaduna House of Assembly, Yusuf Liman, while receiving the report said a total of N423 billion was siphoned by the El-Rufai administration while leaving the state with huge liabilities.
Its recommendation, the committee want the former governor and other indicted officials to be investigated and prosecuted by security and anti-corruption agencies.
The report called for the immediate suspension of the Kaduna State Commissioner of Finance, Shizer Badda, and the chairman of the state universal basic education board.
The report also recommended thorough investigations into key appointees from the last administration.
Months back, Governor Ubah Sani had said his administration was finding it difficult to pay workers’ salaries because of the repayment of the state’s huge debts incurred during El-Rufai’s administration.
According to Sani, his administration inherited $587 million, N85 billion, and 115 contractual liabilities from the administration of El-Rufai.
He lamented that due to the rise in the exchange rate, the state is now paying back almost triple what was borrowed by the previous administration.
