Estimated reading time: 9 minute(s)
Kaduna State Governor, Nasir El-Rufai, has threatened to expose his predecessors for allegedly stealing from the state coffers.
El-Rufai challenged any former governor of Kaduna State come out and join him in swearing with the holy Qur’an that he did not steal from the state coffers.
The governor said this during an interview with Kaduna State Media Corporation (KSMC), Hausa Service.
He stated that his predecessors looted the state funds and took some to the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and other metropolitan capitals of Europe and America where they acquired properties.
El-Rufai, said the loans taken by his administration and all the money accruing to the state in the last seven and half years were spent on developing the state.
He noted that one of the former governors was allegedly indicted in a missing N500 million contract to reconstruct the popular WAFF Road.
He said nothing was done on the road until he became governor and turned the road into a dual carriageway.
“They looted the money, the person they gave the WAFF road contract is dead,” El-Rufai said.
The governor, however, singled out former Vice President Namadi Sambo who he said as governor of Kaduna State started a 300 bed specialist hospital in Millennium City, Kaduna but couldn’t complete the project before moving to Aguda House in Abuja, as the Vice President to former President Goodluck Jonathan in 2010.
El-Rufai said: “They are all looters. I know how they were before and look at their current status. One has built a big mansion in Kaduna at Jabi.
“I challenge anybody who has knowledge of our government collecting 10 per cent commission from contractors. But these people were collecting 10 percent commission. I am a Quantity Surveyor, I know the quality of work they have done.
“I’m happy with the quality of job we did; it would last many years, not the kind of shabby job done by the previous government which won’t last more than one or two years.
“But there is more work for us to do because we want someone to enter Kaduna without seeing any untarred road but roads paved with asphalt, with solar powered street lights. Same in Zaria, Kafanchan and other local governments, Soba, Birnin Gwari that is what we wanted.
“Those who said we incurred debt, they can see what we spent the loan upon. We didn’t take the money to Dubai to buy houses, we didn’t build a big mansion on Jabi road to live a luxurious life.
“That is not who we are, I became Kaduna state Governor with one house in Ungwar Sarki in Danja road, till now that I’m rounding up my tenure that is my only house. I didn’t build a big mansion anywhere and I didn’t steal anybody’s money.
“All those who served as governor of Kaduna state should also come out and swear with the Qur’an that when they were governor, they didn’t take a Kobo. But I can swear with the Qur’an that I didn’t steal anybody’s money.
“For us, leadership is a trust from God and we will give account to God how we manage the trust.
“So, any amount of money we got from federal allocation, from grants, from Internally Generated Revenue (IGR), we spent it in a way it would benefit the people of Kaduna State,” Governor El-Rufai stated.
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