Nigerian Lawmaker Says El Rufai Mercilessly Rooted Kaduna

Henry Marah Zachariah, the chairman of the Kaduna State House Committee on Information, has made a serious allegation against the government of former Governor Nasir El-Rufai. 

On Wednesday, the Kaduna State House of Assembly indicted El-Rufai and several of his aides, accusing them of mercilessly looting Kaduna State. Zachariah claims they siphoned off over N423 billion of the state’s resources from 2015 to 2023.

The House of Assembly’s indictment has sparked significant controversy. El-Rufai, known for his assertive leadership style, has denied all allegations, maintaining that he served Kaduna with integrity. However, the accusations have raised many eyebrows and fueled public outrage.

The House has called on Governor Uba Sani to refer those indicted, including former commissioners for finance, heads of agencies, and accountants-general who served under El-Rufai, to relevant security agencies for further investigation. The scale of the alleged corruption under El-Rufai’s administration has left many residents shocked.

Marah’s strong accusations

In an interview on Channels TV’s Politics Today, Marah did not hold back. He painted a damning picture of El-Rufai’s tenure. “El-Rufai government mercilessly looted Kaduna State. 

When he came in, the total debt was $235 million. But in his eight years in government, he single-handedly took $758 million dollars. By the time he came into office in 2015, the domestic debt was completely wiped out, but he left about N33 billion,” Marah stated.

Marah continued to question the integrity El-Rufai claims to have.

 “Go and check his handover note. How much did he leave for us? The money he collected to execute these projects, over 60 percent of the projects were abandoned. It will take Kaduna State 20 years to complete what he left behind. Where is the integrity?” he asked pointedly.

How El-Rufai defends himself and how the public reacted

Despite the severity of the allegations, Marah mentioned that El-Rufai would be given an opportunity to defend himself. He emphasized that any person who has a signature on contracts during El-Rufai’s tenure would be invited for questioning. This process aims to ensure accountability and justice.

The public reaction to these allegations has been mixed. While some people believe that El-Rufai’s tenure brought significant development to Kaduna, others feel betrayed by the extent of the alleged corruption. The call for a thorough investigation resonates with many, as they hope for transparency and justice.