Nasir el-Rufai,
Kaduna Assembly indicts el-Rufai, recommends prosecution for abuse of office, money laundering
*Ex-Governor dismisses …as ‘politically motivated jaundiced probe’
The Committee set up by the Kaduna State House of Assembly to investigate loans, grants, and project implementation from 2015 to 2023 during the administration of former Governor Nasir El-Rufai submitted its report on Wednesday even as the former governor has dismissed the report as a “politically motivated hatchet job.”
The report implicated the former Governor and recommended that he should be probed.
While submitting the report during plenary on Wednesday by Chairman of the Ad-hoc committee, Henry Zacharia, it was alleged that due processes were not followed in securing some of the loans
The report accused El-Rufai and his commisioners of abuse of office, awarding contracts without due process, diverting public funds, money laundering, and excessive borrowing which left the state heavily indebted.
It was recommended that El-Rufai and some of his officials indicted by the House Committee,be further investigated by security operatives and anti-graft agencies.
While urging for a thorough investigation of key officials who served in the El-Rufai administration, the House Committee sought for the immediate suspension of the Kaduna State Commissioner of Finance, Shizer Badda, and the Chairman of the State Universal Basic Education Board.
But Former Governor of Kaduna State, Nasir El-Rufai, has dismissed as a “politically motivated hatchet job”, the Kaduna State House of Assembly’s adoption of a report of its ad-hoc committee asked to probe his governance of the North-West state from May 2015 to May 2023.
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.
Responding, El-Rufai’s spokesman (Adekeye) affirmed the integrity of the El-Rufai government and dismissed as “scandalous”, the claims by the committee.
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.”
