By Yakubu O. Abdullahi
When on March 30, 2024, Governor Uba Sani of Kaduna State appeared at a town hall meeting to update the people about the goings on in government circles, nobody knew that a can of worms was about to be opened. But 65 days later, Kaduna State has become the focal point for all forms of socio-political and economic discussions, from the sublime to the very ridiculous, following revelations of alleged monumental, blind and unconscionable looting of the treasury during the eight-year period of the previous administration of Mallam Nasir el-Rufai. And this involves staggering amounts running into hundreds of billions of naira and a crushing debt burden to both foreign and local creditors.
Governor Sani’s announcement that he inherited a huge debt burden of $587m, N85bn and N115 billion contractual liabilities from El-Rufai’s administration immediately elicited consternation and outrage within and outside the state. The governor lamented the precarious and deep chasm, which the huge debt overhang has dug in the state’s federal allocation profile. It was so bad that salaries could not be paid without resorting to borrowing.
At the meeting were traditional rulers, religious leaders, politicians, members of the organised labour, civil society organisations, youths and women’s groups. Others present were the deputy governor, Hadiza Balarabe, who accompanied the governor; former governor, Ramalan Yero; a former Chief of Defence Staff, General Martin-Luther Agwai; members of the state’s executive council; and members of the House of Assembly led by the Speaker, Yusuf Liman. It was a full house.
According to Governor Sani, the state only receives N3.6 billion after deduction of N7.2 billion for debt servicing. In his words: “What we received from the federal allocation in Kaduna this month was N3.6 billion out of over N10 billion. The sum of N7.5 billion was deducted from our allocation to service debts.
“We cannot pay salaries without borrowing. Our salary bill is N5.2 billion. We will have to borrow N2 billion to be able to pay salaries.”
He also intimated the people with the fact that President Bola Tinubu could not help because the foreign loan was a World Bank loan.
“He, however, promised to see how he could help us. Some of my governor colleagues have also promised to approach the President to assist Kaduna. In the next three months we will be collecting N3.6 billion from the federal allocation,” he lamented.
Sani said, “Despite the huge debt burden of $587 million, N85 billion, and N115 billion contractual liabilities sadly inherited from the previous administration, we remain resolute in steering Kaduna State towards progress and sustainable development. We have conducted a thorough assessment of our situation and are sharpening our focus accordingly. It gladdens my heart to inform you that, despite the huge inherited debt of the state, till date, we have not borrowed a single kobo.”
While the world erupted with justifiable indignation, outrage and poured condemnation on what they have just been told, a federal lawmaker and son of the ex-governor, Hon. Bashir el-Rufai, took to his X account to upbraid the governor, accusing him of deflecting attention from his administration’s incompetence.
“These guys have realised that they are wholly incompetent and the only way to mask the nonsense is to deflect. From a governor who is always sleeping in Abuja to a litany of incompetent aides who were only rewarded for foolish political reasons,” he said.
About a month before Sani made the riveting revelation, Emmanuel Ado, a public affairs commentator, had noted in his article, “Uba Sani’s zero tolerance for corruption,” efforts being made by the governor to tackle the scourge and institute accountability in the state.
Ado had this to say, “Right from his civil society days, through the Senate and to his election as governor, Governor Sani has, in words and deeds, demonstrated deep aversion to corruption in all its ramifications… Though corruption affects all citizens negatively, the poor are certainly the worst victims. Governor Sani’s determination to wage a sustained war against the deadly cancer speaks volumes of his courage and commitment to good governance.
“Feelers across Kaduna State indicate that Uba Sani’s actions have continued to receive applause from the people…To the people of Kaduna State, Governor Sani is a Daniel that has come to judgment, because of their belief that the outcome of the war will enhance transparency and accountability in government, which will ultimately impact positively on their lives,” Ado wrote.
It did not take long for public opinion to gather steam resulting in calls for the probe of the El-Rufai days in office. Perhaps, the most interesting was the fact that the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) was among the first to call for an investigation of El-Rufai’s administration.
In a statement in Kaduna, Abraham Catoh, spokesperson for the party in the state, said the PDP was not surprised with Sani’s revelations at the Town Hall meeting.
“Though it did not come to us as a surprise, we believed that this revelation is just a scratch on the surface on the real issues, therein; we encourage him to go full-fledged in this show of transparency. We, as the opposition party, are in full support of any plan by the government that would bring development to our dear state, bearing in mind that we shall always kick against anything short of that.
“The PDP urges the governor to set up and mandate a Judicial Commission of Inquiry for full investigation into all the allegations to unravel the state of affairs of the $587 million foreign loans, N85 billion local loans and N115 billion contractual liabilities of unpaid abandoned contracts inherited from the Nasir El-Rufai government,” the statement added.
Things took a dramatic turn when in April, the Kaduna State House of Assembly set up a 13 man panel headed by the Deputy Speaker, Henry Danjuma, to probe El-Rufai’s administration. It was mandated to investigate all finances, loans and contracts awarded under the immediate-past governor. It submitted its report on Wednesday, indicting the ex-governor and some of his appointees of siphoning N423bn state funds.
However, El-Rufai was quick to dismiss it, crying foul. He insisted he was innocent of the charges and accusations. His media aide, Muyiwa Adekeye, knocked the report, describing it as false and scandalous. “We are aware of news that the Kaduna State House of Assembly has adopted the report of the ad hoc committee it asked to probe the El-Rufai government. We have not been availed a copy of the report, to which we would respond robustly whenever we obtain it. We affirm the integrity of the El-Rufai government and dismiss the scandalous claims being aired as the report of the committee,” Adekeye stated.
Notwithstanding, the 186 page report appeared very thorough, dispassionate, detailed and patriotic. With over 50 people appearing before it, it established that from 1965 to December 31, 2014, the total foreign debt by Kaduna State was a paltry $234 million USD, and that there was no single local debt inherited by the El-Rufai administration when it assumed office.
To quote just a bit of it, the report found: “Reckless awards of contracts without due process and due execution, leading to several abandoned projects despite payments.
“(He) authorised humongous withdrawals of cash both in naira and dollar with no records of utilisation and denied the state of the needed resources for development.
“Complicit activities with commissioners and heads of parastatals to defraud the state by issuing directives to KADPPA to circumvent due process in the payment of contractors vide letter dated 21st June, 2021.
“Diversion of funds and money laundering contrary to all extant Laws and regulations and accordingly should be referred to the law enforcement agencies for in-depth investigation and appropriate action.”
Reacting to the Kaduna saga, Henry Marah, a lawmaker from the state, faulted the ex-governor’s claim of running an administration of integrity, saying he “mercilessly looted” the state resources.
With what is on the table just now, Nasir el-Rufai must be told that sentiment, or playing the victims card or the Ostrich will not do anything to help him. It is time to come clean and doing that requires that he should immediately come forward and clear his name. Honour is the only thing that is needed by him at this material time and he can only get it if he is able to clear his name.
It is a crying shame that Nasir el-Rufai, who at various times was referred to as among the brightest and most pious Nigerians alive, would be the one to whom all these stinking and disgusting revelations would be linked to. It is very important that the future of Kaduna children that have been mortgaged through criminal connivance and neglect must be recovered and restored. This revelation of wanton and despicable looting of the common patrimony of Kaduna State must be explained and justice served as a deterrent to would-be criminals waiting for their turn to plunder the state and throw both present and future generations into misery, lack and penury.