The cold political war between the former Governor of Kaduna state, Malam Nasiru Ahmed El-Rufai, and incumbent Governor Uba Sani has taken another interesting dimension with the Kaduna State House of Assembly constituting a committee to probe the financial dealings, loans, grants, and project implementation from 2015-2023 in Kaduna state during the El-Rufai administration.
During a town hall meeting with stakeholders in March, Governor Uba Sani made a shocking revelations on the financial position of Kaduna state. The governor bemoaned how he inherited huge debt amounting to $587 million, N85 billion, and 115 contractual liabilities from the previous administration, making it difficult for him to pay workers’ salaries.
He explained that N7 billion out of the N10 billion federal allocation due to the state in March was deducted to service the debt. The disclosure about the state’s public debt had pitched the former governor against the incumbent government, leading to a war by proxy.
Maryam Mai Rusau, an ally and staunch supporter of El-Rufai, had to pay the supreme price for daring the governor. In an interview she granted journalists, she accused Governor Uba Sani of biting the fingers that fed him. Maryam Mai Rusau was later suspended by the state’s chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC).
Bashir El-Rufai fired another salvo, describing the governor as incompetent and being surrounded by incompetent aides. Another ally of El-Rufai, Aisha Galadima,was arrested by operatives of the Directorate of State Services (DSS) for allegedly posting offensive views against Governor Uba Sani on the social media in February. She was later released.
Governor Uba Sani’s recent outburst about the state’s indebtedness and the hullabaloo it generated will shape the politics of Kaduna state in the coming days. The state house of assembly’s resolution to probe the immediate-past administration is nothing but a quick and deliberate attempt to shift loyalty to the present government.
When the last administration was using the loans and grants to implement infrastructural development or diverting the funds as they want us to believe, no one among them had raised the alarm or called the governor to order.
Some members of the state house of assembly are not first timers, including the speaker. They had served in the 9th assembly and failed to checkmate the former governor throughout his eight-year tenure, according to the doctrine of checks and balances as enshrined in the constitution.
The lawmakers who were merely rubber stamps during the El-Rufai administration suddenly found their voices after he left office. This is tantamount to double standards and treachery. While the legislature can probe the former governor, summon his past officials and contractors to clarify issues, they shot themselves in the foot for not carrying out their oversight legislative duties during the last administration.
Unless the Kaduna State House of Assembly is acting the governor’s script, they ought to have known that he was part of the state’s indebtedness. As chairman, senate committee on finance in the 9th National Assembly, Uba Sani aided the former governor to get the loans. Therefore, the governor is fully aware about the state’s loans.The handover notes explicitly stated the assets and liabilities of Kaduna state. Why then the furore and fuss?
Although, the former governor had boasted that he never stole a kobo from the loans and pointed out some projects he executed with the funds to the doubting Thomases, he needs to prove his innocence.
For the legislature it needs to tarry awhile and do what is expected of it, at the right time. If the legislators had exercised their constitutional rights, summoned the ex-governor to explain how he spent the loans and other financial dealings during his tenure, they would have saved the state from this unnecessary political feud. Alas, they remained toothless bull dogs, only to bark today when the whole issues are being politicised.
Ibrahim Mustapha,
Pambegua, Kaduna state
08169056963
