El-Rufai plunged Kaduna into huge debt, now I can't pay salary - Gov Sani

Kaduna State Governor Uba Sani has lamented that his predecessor, Nasir El-Rufai, plunged the state into huge debt that has now handicapped him from meeting salary obligations to workers.

According to Sani, his administration inherited a huge debt burden of $587 million, ₦85 billion, and 115 contractual liabilities from the immediate past government.

He disclosed this while speaking at a town hall meeting in Kaduna on Saturday, March 30, 2024.

The Governor explained that the huge debt burden was eating deep into the state’s federal allocation, as ₦7bn out of the ₦10bn federal allocation in March was deducted to service the state’s debt.

Sani further noted that his administration was left with a paltry ₦3bn, a ridiculously inferior amount to the state’s monthly salary bill, which stands at ₦5.2 billion.

However, despite the huge debt obligation, the governor said his administration had not borrowed “a single kobo” in the last nine months of his government.

“Despite the huge debt burden of $587 million, ₦85 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 on the state, till date, we have not borrowed a single kobo,” he said.