APC, NLC back Assembly over probe of ex-governor

The Kaduna State chapter of the All Progressives Congress announced on Wednesday its support for the state House of Assembly’s decision to investigate the financial dealings, notably loans secured by the administration of the immediate-past governor, Nasir El-Rufai.

Salisu Wusono, the Kaduna APC publicity secretary, told reporters on Wednesday that the investigation is a positive development.

Similarly, the Kaduna State Chapter of the Nigeria Labour Congress supported the investigation.

On Tuesday, the state assembly appointed a 13-member group to investigate El-Rufai’s government.

The state House of Assembly’s investigation began weeks after Kaduna State’s incumbent governor, Uba Sani, complained that El-Rufai had left him with a large debt.

Sani, speaking during a town hall meeting in Kaduna, said he inherited a lean treasury and was unable to pay workers’ salaries.

Sani said, “Despite the huge debt burden of $587 million, N85 billion, 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 agreed to investigate El-Rufai’s government and thus formed a fact-finding commission.

The resolution was passed during a special session of the House presided over by the Speaker, Alhaji Yusuf Liman.

Yusuf Mugu, a member of the Kaura constituency, moved a motion of public significance to investigate the debts received by the immediate previous governor.

Mugu claimed that the citizens of the state needed to be aware of the loan terms.

Speaking on Wednesday about 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, as does Mallam Nasir El-Rufai. He is a man who wants to conform to the manifesto of the party, which says that the government should base its activities on 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 N20 million, and 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 should be noted that the Kaduna APC suspended the state APC Women Leader, Maryam Suleiman, for assaulting Governor Sani after he raised concerns over the left-behind by El-Rufai.

The Kaduna APC announced on March 31, 2024, that the Women Leader had been suspended for alleged egregious misbehaviour.

The suspension notice was signed by Ali Maishago, the APC Chairman, and Zakkah Bassahuwa, the Badarawa/Malali Ward Secretary.

Meanwhile, the Kaduna State chapter of the NLC backed El-Rufai’s investigation.

In a conversation with our correspondent, Kaduna NLC Chairman Ayuba Suleiman stated that the labour union would also like the Assembly to look into the unpaid severance payments of nearly 32,000 workers fired by El-Rufai’s administration.

Suleiman said, “We will prefer if the committee shall consider further the denial of payment of redundancy, severance, and pension allowances as provided by Section 20 of the Labour Act of 2004 for the over 32,000 workers sacked by the previous administration.”

According to Suleiman, the dismissed workers included 21,711 primary school teachers, 7,000 state government employees, 6,000 local government employees, 3,000 primary health care workers, and all of the permanent secretaries he visited in 2015.

Efforts to reach El-Rufai failed because his spokesman, Muyiwa Adekeye, would not answer the phone or respond to a text message.

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