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Former Kaduna State Governor, Malam Nasir El-Rufai, has described the allegation of misappropriation of loans against him by the state House of Assembly as a "politically motivated hatchet job."
El-Rufai's comments come on the heels of the Kaduna Assembly's adoption of a report of its ad-hoc committee tasked to probe his governance of the North-West state from May 2015 to May 2023.
During plenary on Wednesday, June 5, 2024, the ad-hoc committee, chaired by Henry Zacharia, submitted its report on investigations of all finances, loans and contracts awarded under the El-Rufai administration.
Leading the presentation, Zacharia reported that several loans obtained during the former Governor's tenure were misappropriated, adding that proper procedures were jettisoned when securing the loans.
Upon receiving the report, the House Speaker, Yusuf Liman, said the El-Rufai administration had misappropriated N423 billion, leaving the state with significant debt liabilities.
Consequently, the committee recommended the investigation and prosecution of El-Rufai and other implicated members of his cabinet, by security and anti-corruption agencies for alleged diversion of public funds, abuse of office, and money laundering.
Also, the committee recommended the immediate suspension of the Commissioner for Finance, Shizer Badda, who also served in the same capacity under the previous administration.
El-Rufai screams political with-hunting
Responding in a statement through his spokesman, Muyiwa Adekeye, on Wednesday, El-Rufai said he led a government of integrity and competence during his eight-year administration.
Adekeye also affirmed the integrity of the El-Rufai government, dismissing the committee's claims as "scandalous."
“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.
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“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.”