How El-Rufai’s huge debt burden hampered salary payment in Kaduna – Governor
Governor Uba Sani of Kaduna state has blamed the delay in the paymnt of workers’ March salaries on the debt burden of $587 million, N85 billion, and 115 contractual liabilities he inherited from the previous administration of Nasir El-Rufa’i.
The governor who disclosed this while addressing a Town Hall meeting in Kaduna on Saturday, said, though he has not borrowed a single kobo since he came on board nine months ago, the huge debt burden is eating deep into the federal allocation accruing to the state, adding that of the N10 billion that was allocated to the state in March, N7 billion was deducted at source for debt repayment.
Governor Sani lamented that due to the rise in the exchange rate, Kaduna state is now paying back almost triple of what was borrowed by the previous administration of Nasir el-Rufai.
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He explained that following the deduction of N7 billion to service the state’s debt in the month of March, the state was left with N3 billion, which is not enough to pay salary, as the state’s monthly salary bill stands at N5.2 billion.
He assured that despite the debt, his administration remains resolute in steering Kaduna state towards progress and sustainable development.
The governor said, “despite the huge debt burden of $587 million, N85 billion, and 115 contractual liabilities we 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. It gladdened my heart to inform you that despite the huge inherited debt on the state, till date, we have not borrowed a single kobo.
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“The Key priority areas of our government include safety and security, housing, education, healthcare, and support for Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs). We are also prioritizing inclusive development by investing in human capital, stimulating the economy, and providing affordable housing.”
El-Rufai’s son reacts, says governor’s incompetent
But Bashir El-Rufai, the son of the former governor, Nasir El-Rufai has accused Governor Sani of shying away from his responsibility by always staying away from the state and hibernating at the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Abuja.
Bashir also accused Governor Sani, who is a friend of his father, of surrounding himself with a retinue of incompetent aides appointed for political patronage.
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Bashir El-Rufai berated Governor Sani and his team, accusing them of incompetence, contract inflation and Forex speculation, wondering why they were giving debt burden as an excuse for their poor performance.
The younger El-Rufai wrote: “These guys have realised that they are wholly incompetent and the only way to mask the nonsense is to deflect. From a Governor that is always sleeping in Abuja to a litany of incompetent aides that were only rewarded for foolish political reasons.”
On the debt profile of the State, he responded: “FYI: He was the Senator from Kaduna who lobbied & approved the loans.”
It will be recalled that Governor Sani was Kaduna Central Senator in the 9th Senate before his emergence as the state governor in the 2023 elections.
Bashir further tweeted, “One would think that from all the FAAC allocations these unserious clowns have changed to dollars, debt would be the least of their problems.
“The current administration in Kaduna is building a banquet hall for 7BN naira and is lamenting about debt left by the previous administration.”
