Human rights activist Shehu Sani has called for an independent probe into the alleged looting of the Kaduna State treasury by the past administration of former Governor Nasir El-Rufai.
Speaking on Monday after Governor Uba Sani stated that he was left with huge debt and could not pay salaries, Sani stated that the probe should be headed by an independent and professional accountant who will investigate ex-government officials and the proxy contractors they used during the past administration.
“The looting of Kaduna State cannot be remedied by revelations alone; but by Courageously constituting a probe panel headed by an independent professional Accountant or Auditor who will invite and investigate ex Government officials and their proxy Contractors to account for the millions in Dollars and Billions in Naira that were misused or outrightly stolen, including the $350million loan.”
Sani who was against the incessant borrowing of the government of Alhaji El-Rifai and was at loggerheads with him said “Kaduna State is at its hour of reckoning with the truth I foretold and the truth for which I was vilified.”
Recall that Governor Uba Sani said on Saturday in a town hall meeting in Kaduna that the El-Rufai administration left a huge debt burden of $587 million, N85 billion, and 115 contractual liabilities for the state.
Sani said, “Despite the huge debt burden of $587 million, N85 billion, and 115 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.”
Reacting to the statement on X formerly known as Twitter, Bashir El-Rufai, son of former Governor Nasir El-Rufai called the governor incompetent and accused the governor of abandoning his duty post and hiring incompetent Aides.
“These guys have realised that they are wholly incompetent and the only way to mask the nonsense is to deflect. From a Governor that is always sleeping in Abuja to a litany of incompetent aides that were only rewarded for foolish political reasons.
“One would think that from all the FAAC allocations these unserious clowns have changed to dollars, debt would be the least of their problems.”
Meanwhile, the woman leader of the All Progressive Congress in Kaduna State, Maryam Suleiman (Mai Rusau), speaking in Hausa, on her official Facebook page defended Nasir El-Rufau and described Mr Sani as an ingrate.
“If you say there is no money in Kaduna State, why don’t you resign? Notwithstanding the huge debt burden, you ran from pillar to post trying to get the party’s governorship ticket from El-Rufai. El-Rufai did not stop at anything until he got you the seat.
“And about the loan, as a senator, Uba Sani was the arrowhead of securing the loans for the El-Rufai administration. He was deeply involved in that, and he is saying the state is burdened with loans.”
