Governor Uba Sani of Kaduna State revealed that he inherited a significant debt burden totaling $587 million, along with N85 billion and 115 contractual liabilities from the previous administration led by Nasir El-Rufai.
Governor Sani expressed concern over the impact of this substantial debt on the state’s federal allocation and addressed attendees at a town hall meeting on Saturday, where he pledged his unwavering commitment to steering Kaduna toward progress despite the financial constraints.
The town hall meeting, aimed at providing accountability for his stewardship, saw the presence of various stakeholders including traditional rulers, religious leaders, politicians, members of Organised Labour, civil society organizations, youth, and women groups. Notable attendees included former governor of Kaduna State, Ramalan Yero, former Chief of Defence Staff, General Martin-Luther Agwai, members of the Kaduna State Executive Council, and the House of Assembly led by Speaker Yusuf Liman.
Governor Sani, accompanied by his deputy, Hadiza Balarabe, acquainted the audience with the state’s revenue profile and the debt left behind by his predecessor.
The governor also touched on the key priority areas of his government, including security, housing, education, healthcare and support for micro, small and medium enterprises.
The Commissioner of Finance, Shizzer Bada, made a presentation on what the state gets from the federal allocation and what is being deducted from it to service the huge debt left by the past administration.
While his Budget and Planning counterpart, Muktar Ahmed, touched on the number of contractual liabilities whereby contractors engaged by the former government abandoned projects after collecting money.
Notwithstanding the huge debt burden he inherited, coupled with the number of contractual liabilities, Governor Sani assured the people that he would keep his eyes on the ball in steering the state towards the part of progress and sustainable development.
