TheCable

The committee set up to probe the finances of Kaduna under the administration of Nasir el-Rufai, the immediate former governor of the state, has commenced an investigation.

The committee, which is made up of 13 members, was set up by the Kaduna assembly in April.

The panel is tasked with looking at loans, grants, and project implementation from 2015 to 2023 — the period when el-Rufai was governor of the state.

Suraj Bamalli, the media aide to Yusuf Liman, speaker of the Kaduna assembly, announced the development in a statement on Tuesday.

“The adhoc committee set up to conduct a comprehensive fact-finding into financial dealings, the status of executed contracts, loans, grants, and project implementation from 2015-2023 has commenced its clarification session,” the statement reads.

“The committee has engaged in detailed discussions with several key present and past government officials, including former Commissioner of Agriculture and Commerce, Honorable Manzo Maigari; Former KADPPA Boss and Commissioner of Budget and Planning, Honorable Thomas Gyang, Commissioner and Administrator of Zaria Metropolitan Authority, Hajia Balaraba Aliyu, amongst others.

“The Kaduna State House of Assembly appreciates the cooperation and contributions of all individuals involved in this process and assures the public of their dedication to upholding the highest standards of governance during this process.”

On March 30, Uba Sani, governor of Kaduna, said his administration inherited a debt of $587 million, N85 billion, and 115 contractual liabilities from el-Rufai’s administration.

The Kaduna governor said the huge debt burden is eating deep into the state’s share of the monthly federation allocation.