The Kaduna State House of Assembly is recommending a probe of former Governor Nasir El-Rufai, his senior officials, and contractors for alleged corruption, financial misconduct, mismanagement and misappropriation of N423 billion.
The Assembly’s Committee, which investigated the state’s administration from May 29, 2015, to May 29, 2023, has recommended far-reaching legal and financial actions. The findings have triggered urgent calls for accountability and recovery of funds.
The Committee has recommended the immediate withdrawal of the Internally Generated Revenue, IGR,account at Zenith Bank, alleging an illegal guarantee of N20 billion in 2023. It also demands that the bank refund all unauthorized deductions, including interest.
A full-scale investigation has been called on the activities of finance commissioners, accountant generals, and chairmen of the Kaduna State Internal Revenue Service ,KADIRS, from 2015-2023. Current members of the State Universal Basic Education Board, SUBEB, and the State Pension Bureau have also been asked to step aside to allow for proper scrutiny.
The Committee has advised the immediate suspension of the current commissioner of finance, chairman of SUBEB, and executive secretary of the State Pension Bureau to ensure fair investigations into their activities.
The report details widespread fraudulent payments, including overpayments to contractors, unjustified cash withdrawals, and foreign exchange manipulations. Several contractors and former managing directors of state agencies are being asked to return over N36 billion.
A state debt crisis has also been highlighted, with the report alleging reckless accumulation of domestic and foreign debt, surpassing all loans acquired by the state between 1965 and 1999. It recommends that loans obtained without due process be nullified.
Several contractors, including Skipper Nig. Ltd, have been accused of abandoning large-scale projects after receiving substantial payments, leading to massive financial losses for the state. The report calls for legal action against those responsible.
The most serious allegations center on El-Rufai’s role in approving questionable contracts, facilitating unlawful financial transactions, and allegedly plunging the state into unmanageable debt.
The report suggests that his actions, including the circumvention of due process and abuse of office, warrant a full investigation by law enforcement agencies.
The Kaduna Assembly’s findings have sent shockwaves through the state’s political landscape, intensifying calls for accountability.
Lawmakers have urged the federal government and law enforcement agencies to take immediate action against all implicated individuals and entities.
As Kaduna residents, activists, and political observers monitor the unfolding scandal, the state braces for potential legal and political consequences that could reshape its governance and financial management.
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