One had expected el-rufai to come and defend himself instead of keeping quiet. Though, his former aides and son Bashir have kicked against the allegations, describing them as baseless and political motivated,the former governor has to do the needful to clear his name from the mud. The huge amount of funds believed to have been squandered under his watchful eyes demand full explanation and his innocence.
On Wednesday, the Kaduna State House of Assembly indicted former governor El-Rufai and several of his aides for allegedly siphoning over N423 billion of the state’s resources from 2015 to 2023. Presenting the report during a plenary sitting, the chairman of the 13 members ad hoc committee and the Deputy Speaker of the House, Magaji Henry Danjuma, said most of the loans obtained under the El-Rufai administration were not used for their intended purposes. It could be recalled,on March this year, during a town hall meeting, governor Uba Sani, raised an alarm of high debt running into billions of naira incurred by his predecessor.
The governor complained that the state government hardly pay salary after deduction was made from its statutory allocation. His outburst necessated the state’s house of assembly to constitute a committee to probe the former administration. Since the shocking revelation, ex-governor Elrufai’s ,has remained mute or refuse to break silence an action which elicited deep suspicious that he must have been culprit on the multiple allegations hanging on his neck.
One had expected el-rufai to come and defend himself instead of keeping quiet. Though, his former aides and son Bashir have kicked against the allegations, describing them as baseless and political motivated,the former governor has to do the needful to clear his name from the mud. The huge amount of funds believed to have been squandered under his watchful eyes demand full explanation and his innocence.
During an interview with BBC hausa service when in power, El-rufai accused the past PDP governments of mismanaged billions of naira loans without commesurating results. He challenged whoever accused his government for diverting the state’s loans to look at the infrastructural development executed across the nooks and crannies of the state. However, within a period of less than one year after he left office, El-rufai is found wanting for allegedly siphoning billions of naira based on the report submitted by the state’s house of assembly probe committee.
Governor Uba Sani has come under barrage of attacks after he opened up the Pandora box or canker worms of the last administration. Many people blame him for being complicit in the loans debacle. In 2019 when governor Uba Sani was in the senate,he facilitated the collection of loans by El-rufai government. This had come after all efforts by the ex-governor to secure the loans were opposed by senator Suleiman Hunkuyi and Shehu Sani, representing kaduna north and kaduna central in the 8th National Assembly. El-rufai did not only curse those two senators for not approving his loans request, but also ensure they did not return to the senate in 2019. But senator Uba Sani and Abdu kwari who found their way to the 9th senate through the support of El-rufai, suddenly became willing tools for him to obtain the loans with relatively ease. So, this is a case of proverbial “chicken that comes home to roast” Governor Uba Sani has not reasons to accuse Elrufai’s administration for wanton corruption including misappropriation of loans collected. He is alleged to be part of those who negotiated the loans and hence accept how it was spent.
Nonetheless, in a dramatic twist,governor Uba Sani, has exenorated himself from the blame. He stated that he approved the loans in good faith,believing the ex-governor will judiciously utilise the funds.
Although, El-rufai supporters and associates have described the probe as politically motivated,it is high time the former governor broke silence on the weighy allegations of financial misappropriation against his government. The state house of Assembly committee’s recommendations which advised government to refer those indicted to relevant anti-graft agencies remain the best option. The brazen abuse of office by El-rufai and his cronies should not be swept under the carpet. If the ex-governor has not skeleton on his cupboard, this is the right time to break silence and defend his former government.
Ibrahim Mustapha Pambegua Kaduna, State.08169056963.