Kaduna assembly asks finance ministry to provide details of loans obtained by el-Rufai

The Kaduna house of assembly has asked the state ministry of finance to provide details of the loans obtained by Nasir el-Rufai, the former governor.

The request of the assembly follows the ongoing probe of the finances of the state under el-Rufai when he was the governor of the state.

El-Rufai was the governor of Kaduna between 2015 and 2023.

Last Tuesday, the Kaduna assembly established a committee to examine the finances of the state under the administration of el-Rufai.

The 13-member committee was tasked to investigate loans, grants and project implementation from 2015 to 2023 — the period in which el-Rufai served as governor.

In a letter dated April 22, signed by Sakinatu Idris, clerk of the house, and addressed to the commissioner of finance, the assembly requested information regarding payments and outstanding liabilities to contractors under el-Rufai.

“Accordingly, I am directed to request you to forward to the ad-hoc committee memorandum to be accompanied with the under-listed documents and all other documents you consider relevant to the assignment of the committee,” the letter reads.

“(i) (a) Total loans from May 2015 to May 2023 with the approvals of the Kaduna State House of Assembly, the accounts into which the loans were lodged and drawdowns as recorded by Project Finance Managemet Unit (PFMU) & Debt Management Office (DMO).

“(b) Relevant state executive council minutes of meetings, council’s extracts and resolutions with regards to the loans.

“(c) Payments and outstanding liabilities to contractors from May 2015 – May 2023. (d) Reports of Salaries paid to staff from 2016-2022. (e) Dloyd Reports on KADRIS from 2015 to 2023.

“(ii) Terms, purpose and conditions on those loans. (iii) Appropriation items related to the loans.

(iv) All records of payments made to all contractors engaged by the state government and relevant documents from May 2015 to May 2023 including bank statements

(v) Modalities for payments of contracts.
(vi) Documents of all payments made to the contractors. (vii) Sales of government houses/properties and accounts the proceeds were lodged and how the money was expended.

“Thirty (30) copies of the memo/documents should reach the office of the clerk to the legislature on or before Thursday, 25th April, 2024 by 10:00 am.”

On March 30, Uba Sani, governor of Kaduna, said his administration inherited a debt of $587 million, N85 billion, and 115 contractual liabilities from the el-Rufai administration