Just In : Kaduna APC, NLC back Assembly over El-Rufai’s probe
THE Kaduna State chapter of the All Progressives Congress, on Wednesday, expressed its support for the move by the state’s House of Assembly to probe the financial dealings, particularly loans obtained by the administration of the immediate-past governor, Nasir El-Rufai.
The Kaduna APC Publicity Secretary, Salisu Wusono, speaking with The PUNCH on the telephone on Wednesday, described the probe as a welcome development.
Similarly, the Kaduna State chapter of the Nigeria Labour Congress backed the probe.
The state Assembly had on Tuesday set up a 13-man panel to probe El-Rufai’s administration.
The probe by the state House of Assembly came weeks after the incumbent Governor of Kaduna State, Uba Sani, lamented that El-Rufai left him a huge debt profile.
Sani, who spoke during a town hall meeting in Kaduna, said he inherited a lean treasury, adding that he could not pay workers’ salaries.
Sani said, “Despite the huge debt burden of $587m, N85bn, and 115 Contractual Liabilities sadly inherited from the previous administration, we remain resolute in steering Kaduna State towards progress and sustainable development.
“We have conducted a thorough assessment of our situation and are sharpening our focus accordingly.”
On Tuesday, the state Assembly resolved to probe El-Rufai’s administration and therefore set up a fact-finding committee.
The resolution of the House was reached during a special session of the House presided over by the Speaker, Alhaji Yusuf Liman.
The member representing the Kaura constituency, Yusuf Mugu, moved the motion on the matter of public importance that the loans taken by the immediate past governor be investigated.
Mugu argued that there was a need for the people of the state to know the conditions attached to the loans.
Asked on Wednesday for the position of the party on the probe, the Kaduna APC Publicity Secretary, Wusono, said, “Yes, of course,” adding, “By this committee, we will come to realise the actual situation of things.
“I want to remind all Nigerians that the APC believes in the rule of law and so also Malam Nasir El-Rufai. He is a man who wants to conform with the manifesto of the party, which says that the government should drive its activities from the concept of the governed.
“Whatever we are doing is in the best interest of the good people of Kaduna State. What I believe and can tell Nigerians is that whatever the APC government is doing is in the best interest of the people represented.
“Maybe the past administration spent N20m, while people are saying it is more or less, only the committee can verify and tell the general public the true situation of things.”
It will be recalled that the Kaduna APC had suspended the state APC Women Leader, Maryam Suleiman, for attacking Governor Sani after he raised the alarm about the left behind by El-Rufai.
The Kaduna APC, in a March 31, 2024 notice, said the Women Leader was suspended for alleged gross misconduct.
The suspension notice was signed by the APC Chairman and Secretary of the Badarawa/Malali ward, Ali Maishago and Zakkah Bassahuwa, respectively.
Meanwhile, the Kaduna State chapter of the NLC also supported El-Rufai’s probe.
The Kaduna NLC Chairman, Ayuba Suleiman, in an interview with our correspondent, said the labour union would also want the Assembly to probe the unpaid severance packages of the over 32,000 workers sacked by the administration by El-Rufai.
Suleiman said, “We will prefer if the committee shall consider further the denial of payment of redundancy, severance and pensions allowances as provided by Section 20 of the Labour Act of 2004, for the over 32,000 workers sacked by the previous administration.”
The breakdown of the sacked workers, according to Suleiman, showed 21,711 primary schoolteachers, 7,000 state government staff, 6,000 local government staff, 3,000 primary health care staff, all the permanent secretaries he met in 2015, among others.
Efforts to get El-Rufai to react to the development failed as his spokesman, Muyiwa Adekeye, neither picked up the call put through to his line nor responded to a text message sent to him.
