Only anti-graft agency can disprove our findings, Kaduna assembly replies el-Rufai’s ex-appointees

The Kaduna house of assembly has responded to comments by ex-commissioners in the administration of Nasir el-Rufai, the former governor, defending their principal concerning the alleged financial mispropriation during his regime.

The Kaduna assembly asked the former commissioners to save their energy to respond to questions from anti-graft agencies on the alleged corruption during their administration.

BACKGROUND

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

He said the huge debt burden is eating deep into the state’s share of the monthly federation allocation.

Subsequently, the Kaduna assembly recommended that el-Rufai be probed over alleged N423 billion misappropriation.

The assembly made the recommendation after receiving the report of the ad-hoc committee set up to probe the administration of the former governor.

However, el-Rufai denied the allegations and took legal action against the state house of assembly.

In a statement on Tuesday, eight former commissioners under the el-Rufai administration described the probe as an “attempt to inflict maximum reputational damage on certain selected members of the Kaduna State Executive Council, Class of 2015–2023.”.

The former cabinet members said the committee’s report “oozes malice and patent unfairness” toward the administration of the former governor.

‘ONLY ANTI-GRAFT AGENCIES CAN DISAPPROVE OUR FINDINGS’

In a statement issued on Wednesday by Henry Magaji, deputy speaker of the house, the Kaduna assembly said the former commissioners refused to address the “systematic and coordinated cornering of the resources of Kaduna State through phoney contracts and outright looting”.

Magaji said anti-corruption agencies have been called upon to invite those indicted in the report.

“The press conference was just a rehash of the vituperations and innuendoes heaped on us by the former political appointees in their first press briefing,” the statement reads.

“There was nothing new that should warrant our response. They failed to address the main issue, which is the systematic and coordinated cornering of the resources of Kaduna State through phoney contracts and outright looting.

“The state house of assembly, in line with its constitutional mandate and in response to public demand, carried out a thorough probe into the humongous debts incurred by the immediate past administration without commensurate projects.

“We dug deep and unearthed the monumental heist carried out in Kaduna State in the guise of project execution.

“It is the anti-corruption agencies that can either validate or disprove our findings, not individuals who spent their days in public office cornering the common patrimony of the people of Kaduna state and mortgaging the future of its children and grandchildren.

“Our findings revealed a litany of poorly executed projects, abandoned projects, and projects that exist only in the imagination of executive scammers.”

The Kaduna assembly said the lawmakers have performed their duties to the people, adding that the indicted persons should answer questions on the allegations against them.