Protesters, under the auspices of Kaduna Citizens Watch for Good Governance (KCWGG), yesterday stormed the Kaduna State Government House asking Governor Uba Sani to invite the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to arrest and prosecute former Governor Nasir El-Rufai over his indictment in the misappropriation of N423 billion.
The protesters began trekking about 11am from UTC Bus stop leading to the Government House. They sang solidarity songs and carried placards with different inscriptions condemning the alleged financial mismanagement, abuse of power, and a growing debt burden in the eight years of the El-Rufai administration.
Some of the inscriptions read ‘We will occupy all MDAs to chase out all indicted persons in the report’; ‘Stop servicing all loans that did not follow due process before they were obtained’; ‘Jimi Lawal almost killed Kaduna State the way he killed a bank some years ago’.
Governor Sani, on March 30, said the state faces a substantial debt burden of $587 million, N85 billion, and 115 contractual liabilities inherited from the previous administration. This has led to over 70 per cent of the state’s allocation being used to service the inherited debt.
In response, the House of Assembly formed an ad hoc committee to investigate the state’s financial transactions from May 29, 2015 to May 29, 2023. The committee, led by Henry Magaji, submitted its findings on June 5, revealing significant unaccounted funds and irregularities in financial transactions. The report highlighted mismanagement of funds, diversion of loans, overpayment of contractors, and lack of transparency in the use of state funds.
Chairman of the protesting group, Comrade Victor Duniya, said: “Our state has endured financial mismanagement, abuse of power, and a growing debt burden in the last eight years. The most troubling finding was the diversion of N10.5 billion meant for pastoral nomadism and the construction of the Milk Industry at Damau, Kubau local governemnt, for the construction of Galaxy Mall, Kaduna. Additionally, the report uncovered overpayments to contractors, payments to unregistered companies, and funds disbursed for work not completed, amounting to over N36.3 billion.
“The report also revealed large sums of money withdrawn from the state treasury without proper documentation of its use. Furthermore, an expenditure of over N11 billion on a non-existent MRT transportation scheme was documented with no evidence to support it.
“While we were struggling to come to terms with the voodoo former Governor El-Rufai and his team deployed to cover the faces of Kaduna people from seeing these atrocities, El-Rufai gathered members of his well-fed family to Sallah feast where he tacitly called on them in Hausa language to bring down the government of Senator Uba Sani, which we believe is as a result of allowing the House of Assembly work for the first time in over eight years.