El-Rufai Responds To Governor Sani’s Claims Of Financial Mismanagement

El-Rufai Responds To Governor Sani’s Claims Of Financial Mismanagement

Former Kaduna State Governor Nasir El-Rufai has dismissed allegations of financial misconduct made by the current administration under Governor Uba Sani. The allegations, involving the alleged diversion of ₦423 billion, were addressed at a press conference in Abuja on Tuesday. El-Rufai, through his former commissioners, labeled the claims as baseless and misleading……… CONTINUE READING

During the conference, El-Rufai’s representatives argued that the financial report released by the Kaduna State House of Assembly on June 5, 2024, which implicated the former administration in financial mismanagement, was fundamentally flawed. They highlighted the lack of concrete evidence and the arbitrary nature of the financial figures cited in the report, claiming the accusations were politically motivated and intended to tarnish El-Rufai’s reputation and legacy.

The commissioners, who served under El-Rufai from 2015 to 2023, defended their administration, asserting that their financial dealings were transparent and within legal boundaries. They challenged the current administration to provide substantive proof of wrongdoing rather than relying on what they termed fabricated figures.

In their statement, the commissioners criticized the inconsistent figures presented in the report. They argued that the report failed to show how the alleged siphoning of ₦423 billion was executed, from which accounts, and by whom. They described the report as indulging in “voodoo accounting” to concoct a scandal.

The commissioners pointed out discrepancies in the report, noting that the state’s share of revenues was listed as ₦811.6 billion on one page, yet later in the report, the figure changed to ₦1.497 trillion without explanation. They claimed this inconsistency undermined the credibility of the findings.

The commissioners also accused the report of ignoring the misuse of funds under the current administration, particularly concerning the CBN-sponsored Anchor Borrowers Scheme. They questioned why the report was silent on this issue and suggested a thorough investigation into the scheme’s beneficiaries.

Furthermore, the commissioners accused the report’s authors of having conflicts of interest, citing the Speaker of the Kaduna State House of Assembly as an example. They alleged that the Speaker had been investigated for untaxed and unexplained income and had conflicts related to public-private partnerships.

The former commissioners concluded by condemning the report as a politically motivated attack, criticizing Governor Uba Sani for using his brother in the preparation of the report. They also noted the refusal of the House of Assembly to provide certified true copies of the report, suggesting an attempt to prevent scrutiny of its findings.