The Kaduna State House of Assembly has accused former Governor Nasir El-Rufai and his aides of mismanaging N423 billion during his eight-year tenure. The Assembly has called on the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to investigate alleged unauthorized cash withdrawals and loans obtained without following due process.
El-Rufai dismissed the allegations as “jaundiced and politically-motivated,” promising a robust response after reviewing the full report.
The accusations stem from an ad-hoc committee’s investigation into the state’s finances, loans, and contracts awarded under El-Rufai’s administration. The report presented by the committee’s chairman and Deputy Speaker, Henry Magaji Danjuma, claims significant mismanagement of funds and procedural violations, including large cash withdrawals in both naira and dollars without proper documentation.
The committee found that many loans acquired by El-Rufai’s administration were not utilized for their intended purposes and that the process for awarding contracts was frequently circumvented, resulting in numerous abandoned projects and overpayments to contractors. The Assembly has asked Governor Uba Sani to suspend several officials and refer others, including past finance commissioners and heads of various agencies, to law enforcement for further investigation.
The report also highlighted specific instances of financial misconduct, including N4.9 billion in unjustified cash withdrawals, $1.4 million from the Kaduna State Economic Transformation Account, and numerous overpayments to contractors totaling N36.3 billion.
The Assembly’s investigation covered the period from May 29, 2015, to May 29, 2023,
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