El-Rufai Dismisses Probe, Claims Integrity in Governance

In response to the Kaduna State House of Assembly’s resolution to prosecute him for alleged misappropriation of ₦423 billion and abuse of office during his tenure as governor, Nasir El-Rufai, the former governor of Kaduna State, has firmly asserted his innocence. He maintains that he conducted himself with honesty and integrity throughout his time in office.
Reacting to the report suggesting an investigation into his actions, the ex-governor issued a statement through his media aide, Muyiwa Adekeye. El-Rufai expressed satisfaction with his achievements in public service, dismissing the claims against him as “scandalous” and the result of a “malicious effort” to defame him.

Ad-hoc Committee’s Probe Deemed Biased and Predetermined

El-Rufai’s statement questioned the fairness of the ad-hoc committee’s inquiry, alleging that it was merely a formality to give “gloss to predetermined conclusions.” He stated that many of his former administration officials appeared before the committee, confident in the quality of their service and the rectitude with which they served Kaduna State.

“It was obvious that the ad hoc committee was merely going through the motions of an inquiry just to give some gloss to predetermined conclusions,” El-Rufai’s statement read. He further dismissed the claims being peddled in connection with the report, calling it a “shameful departure from any notion of decency and fairness by a state legislature.”

El-Rufai Stands by His Record, Vows to Respond Robustly

While acknowledging the news of the assembly’s adoption of the ad-hoc committee’s report, El-Rufai affirmed that he has not been provided with a copy of the report. However, he vowed to respond “robustly” once he obtains it.

“Malam Nasir El-Rufai is immensely proud of his record of governance and the legacy he left in Kaduna State,” the statement read. “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 assured Nigerians that he served Kaduna State with integrity and to the best of his capacity, assisted by a hardworking and patriotic team. He claimed to have complied with all extant laws in his activities as governor, urging the public to disregard the “jaundiced probe” as a “politically motivated hatchet job.”.

Committee’s Findings and Recommendations

At the presentation of its findings to the Kaduna state house of assembly during a plenary session on Wednesday, Henry Zacharia, the committee chair, reported that the loans from El-Rufai’s term were often misallocated, and the loan acquisition process occasionally lacked proper procedure. Yusuf Liman, the speaker, received the report, noting that the El-Rufai administration misappropriated N423 billion, resulting in huge debt for the state.

The committee also recommended the suspension of Shizer Badda, the current finance commissioner, who held the same role under El-Rufai’s administration, and the chairman of the state universal basic education board. El-Rufai condemned the findings as a breach of decency and fairness by the state legislature, dismissing the claims being peddled in connection with the report.

Background on the Probe

In April, the Kaduna State House of Assembly set up a committee to investigate the financial transactions, loans, and contracts under the administration of Nasiru Rufai, the immediate past governor of the state. Following the investigations, the ad-hoc committee recommended the prosecution of the immediate past governor after presenting its findings revealing misappropriation of funds and abuse of power.

El-Rufai’s Confidence in His Team’s Service

El-Rufai stated that many officials who served in his government appeared before the ad-hoc committee because of their confidence in the quality of their service and the rectitude with which they served Kaduna State. However, he claimed that they were under no illusion that they were participating in a fair process, as it was obvious that the ad-hoc committee was merely going through the motions of an inquiry just to give some gloss to predetermined conclusions.