June 6, 2024

Henry Marah, the Chairman of the Kaduna State House of Assembly Ad Hoc Committee probing the eight-year administration of ex-Governor Nasir El-Rufai, has alleged that the last government left 60% of fully funded projects abandoned in the state.

“By the time he (El-Rufai) came into office in 2015, the domestic debt incurred by the previous government was completely wiped off. He came in, there was zero debt, and then they left behind for him monies worth about N3bn to kick off his government,” Marah said on Channels Television’s Politics Today programme on Wednesday.

“Now, go back and check, in his (El-Rufai’s) handover note how much he left as debt for us. And then the monies he collected to execute these projects. Over 60% of these projects were abandoned and it will take Kaduna State 20 years to even complete what he left behind. So, where is the integrity?” he asked.

He alleged that several credit facility were taken from multilateral development banks and earmarked for projects but those projects were not executed and the money unaccounted for.

According to the lawmaker, money was taken without any activity attached to it. He alleged that the El-Rufai’s government was “enmeshed in corruption”, and “mercilessly looted the treasury of the state”.

The lawmaker claimed that some of the loans taken by the previous government were not approved by the Assembly and that the signatures of some lawmakers were forged to approve the loans.

He said though everyone who served under the previous administration and whose signatures appeared on relevant documents were invited and they appeared before the committee but El-Rufai was not invited.

Marah, however, said El-Rufai would be given an opportunity to explain himself. He added that the report of the committee has been sent to anti-corruption agencies for action.

Meanwhile, El-Rufai, has dismissed as a “politically motivated hatchet job”, the Assembly’s adoption of a report of the ad-hoc committee.

In a statement on Wednesday through his spokesman, Muyiwa Adekeye, the former governor said he led a government of integrity and competence during his eight-year administration.