Sophia Michaels
The immediate past governor of Kaduna State, Nasir El-Rufai, has dismissed allegations of abuse of office and money laundering by the Kaduna State House of Assembly.
He stated that the reports are false and politically motivated.
This follows the Assembly’s endorsement of a damning report by its ad-hoc committee that investigated the governance of the state from May 2015 to May 2023.
The committee’s report, presented on Wednesday, accused El-Rufai’s administration of mismanaging state finances, alleging improper loan use and failure to adhere to due process in contract awards.
The Speaker, Yusuf Liman, claimed that actions under El-Rufai led to the misappropriation of N423 billion, significantly indebting the state.
In response, El-Rufai, through his spokesman Muyiwa Adekeye, defended his tenure, asserting that his administration operated with utmost integrity and competence.
Adekeye criticized the Assembly’s findings as “scandalous” and indicative of a targeted smear campaign rather than a genuine quest for accountability.
The report recommended that El-Rufai and several members of his cabinet be investigated and potentially prosecuted for alleged abuses of office, diversion of public funds, and money laundering.
Additionally, it called for the immediate suspension of the current Commissioner of Finance, Shizer Badda, who also served during El-Rufai’s term.
He said, “Malam Nasir El-Rufai is immensely proud of his record of governance and the legacy he left in Kaduna State. This record of consistently high performance in public and private office cannot be altered by any malicious effort to use the auspices of a state legislature for defamation and undeserved smears.
“Many of the officials who served in the El-Rufai government appeared before the ad-hoc committee because of their confidence in the quality of their service and the rectitude which they served Kaduna State. They were under no illusion that they were participating in a fair process. It was obvious that the ad hoc committee was merely going through the motions of an inquiry just to give some gloss to predetermined conclusions.
“It is sad to see such a shameful departure from any notion of decency and fairness by a state legislature. We dismiss with contempt the claims being peddled in connection with the report.
“Malam El-Rufai wishes to assure discerning Nigerians that he has served Kaduna State with integrity and to the best of his capacity, assisted by a hardworking and patriotic team. He complied with all extant laws in all his activities while he was the governor. This jaundiced probe should be disregarded as the politically motivated hatchet job it is.”
