Former Governor of Kaduna State, Nasir El-Rufai, has dismissed corruption allegations against his administration by an ad-hoc committee of the Kaduna State House of Assembly.
The strongly worded statement issued by his media aide, Muyiwa Adekeye, on Tuesday was his first reaction to the adoption of the committee report by the Assembly.
The statement says “We are aware of news that the Kaduna State House of Assembly has adopted the report of the ad-hoc committee it asked to probe the El-Rufai government. We have not been availed a copy of the report, to which we would respond robustly whenever we obtain it.”
“Malam Nasir El-Rufai is immensely proud of his record of governance and the legacy he left in Kaduna State.
“This record of consistently high performance in public and private office cannot be altered by any malicious effort to use the auspices of a state legislature for defamation and undeserved smears.”
El-Rufai further criticised the probe process, alleging bias and unfairness.
“Many of the officials who served in the El-Rufai government appeared before the ad-hoc committee because of their confidence in the quality of their service and the rectitude which they served Kaduna State.
“They were under no illusion that they were participating in a fair process.”
The statement continued with El-Rufai assuring the public of his integrity and adherence to laws during his tenure.
He urged discerning Nigerians to disregard the findings of the probe, labelling it as a “politically motivated hatchet job.”
Moreover, the investigation also exposed alleged collusion between the Kaduna State Ministry of Finance and KADIS, resulting in the siphoning and theft of 30 billion naira from the state’s Internal Revenue Agency accounts.
The committee recommended that N62 billion should be refunded to the state government.
The committee recommended the investigation and prosecution of el-Rufai and other indicted members of his cabinet by security and anti-corruption agencies.
Allegations include abuse of office through the award of contracts without due process, diversion of public funds, money laundering, and plunging Kaduna State into heavy debt.
Speaking during an appearance on Channels Television, Zachariah said, “The N423 billion were monies taken from the purse of the government without any activity attached to it.
“The Commissioner for Finance and Accountant General withdrew N30 billion. They withdrew N1.4 trillion from the state government account.”
The committee, appointed by the Kaduna State House of Assembly, was tasked with examining loans, grants, and project implementation spanning from 2015 to 2023, during which el-Rufai served as the governor of the state.
