THE Kaduna State House of Assembly has formed a committee to look into how the $350 million World Bank loan obtained by the former Governor Nasir El-Rufai administration was spent, as well as other financial spending and abandoned projects initiated by the previous government between 2015 and 2023.
The assembly’s speaker, Yusuf Liman, today, inaugurated the 13-member committee during plenary.
The committee was formed in response to a resolution presented by Mugu Yusuf, a member representing the Kauru constituency, requesting that the House review all loans taken by the El-Rufai administration.
“There have been uncomplimentary comments and assassinations of character on the leadership of the state, which the assembly cannot sit and watch. That is why I came up with this motion that the Speaker constitute a committee to investigate the allegations and negative comments on them,” he said.
“This is the only way the state can rekindle its confidence in its development partners, collaborators, and also those who give us loans and grants; failure to do this will push the indicators of the state to a situation whereby nobody will want to do business with us.”
During the debate, the former speaker, Yusuf Zailani, during whose tenure as presiding officer of the House, the Kaduna State Government obtained the loan, denied that the ninth assembly approved the loan for the executive.
“I suffered a lot in order not to give approval for the loan to be collected; even the then deputy Speaker Isaac Auta Zankhai was against me because I disagreed with the loan to be collected. I told the then-governor to look at the number of loans we had on hand, and he didn’t listen to me,” he said.
In their separate submissions, Henry Marah, a member of the Jaba constituency, and Samuel Kambai, a member of the Zangon Kataf constituency, insisted that lawmakers have a duty and constitutional rights to approve loans before the governor can collect them, but lamented that the case of Kaduna was different.
They asked the committee to invite the 8th and 9th assembly speakers, as well as several assembly members, to explain how the loans were collected and used.
Liman also requested that the ad hoc committee invite the 8th and 9th assembly speakers, as well as all other relevant parties and agencies, to take part in the probe.
He told the House that the situation would be thoroughly investigated, and that everyone would be free to speak the truth.
The 13-member committee was chaired by Aminu Anti, representing Doka Gabasawa; the deputy chairman was Yusuf Mugu Kaura; Munira Tanimu, Hon. Shehu Yunusa, and nine other members.
Governor Uba Sani of Kaduna State stated in March that he inherited a massive debt burden of $587 million, N85 billion, and 115 contractual liabilities from El-Rufai’s immediate predecessor, stressing that the hefty debt has eaten deeply into the state’s federal allocation.
