El-Rufai’s allegation against his successor is unfortunate, argues ERIC MUSA-JATTO
Former Kaduna State Governor, Mallam Nasir El-Rufai, last weekend, made grave allegations of fraud and corrupt practices against his successor, Governor Uba Sani. His outrageous claim, just like others before it, is nothing but mere sophistry.
El-Rufai, in his all-knowing manner, declared in an interview with a popular Kaduna based radio station that Governor Sani diverted local government funds to buy properties in Seychelles, South Africa and United Kingdom.
Such a claim simply provokes hilarious and angry laughter at the same time because it makes no sense to level such an accusation.
El-Rufai alleged that the governor converted local government allocations into dollars to purchase properties in foreign countries without an iota of evidence as proof. But while accusing his successor, he expectedly exonerated himself of doing anything like that while in office as governor of the state.
In his words, “When I was the governor, I never took a kobo from local government funds. We gave them their funds to operate. Once we set aside SUBEB, primary healthcare and other allocations, we gave them their money. Both the PDP and APC chairmen are alive to bear witness.
“They thought we didn’t know what was happening, but we knew everything. We have all the records.
“As I speak to you, no local government in Kaduna gets more than N50 million per month. Once the allocation comes, they siphon it, exchange it into dollars and then buy properties in Seychelles, South Africa, London and everywhere,” he said.
For the record, Nasir El-Rufai is swimming in the murky waters of alleged corrupt practices to the tune of N420 billion. The State House of Assembly has given the go ahead to probe his tenure and recover the money.
He, however, maintained during the interview that: “I have never stolen a kobo from anybody. If there is any contractor who has given me a bribe, I challenge him to come forward.
“When ICPC invited many of the contractors, many of them said they had never met me. You could execute contracts worth billions without seeing me as a governor. I deal with commissioners and permanent secretaries,” El-Rufai had claimed. He further alleged that Governor Uba Sani collected 40 percent kickback before awarding contracts.
“Uba goes to Abuja with contract documents to offer contractors and get 40 percent in kickbacks. We know what is happening. They thought that was how we ran the government, but they were wrong,” he added.
However, the world knows that El-Rufai is merely engaged in attempts to shift attention from the corruption probe hanging precariously around his neck like an Albatross. And this outlandish claim is not enough to extricate him from all the alleged financial malfeasance, and absence of due process associated with his eight-year tenure in office.
While Governor Uba Sani has refused to dignify him with a response beyond an earlier terse statement in which he stated that “My focus is on serving the people of Kaduna,” a body whose position matters a lot, the Association of Local Governments of Nigeria (ALGON) in Kaduna State, wasted no time in shooting down El-Rufai’s allegations of siphoning of council funds as “false, and patently absurd.”
ALGON maintained that ‘’the allegations are meant to mislead the public, create disaffection and ridicule the all-inclusive, pro-poor and people-oriented administration in Kaduna State.”
ALGON, through its spokesman, Muhammad Shehu, at a well-attended press conference in Kaduna on Tuesday, declared that ‘’Governor Uba Sani’s administration stands for the rule of law and due process. Transparency and accountability are its watchwords. It supports and respects the financial autonomy of local governments. It has never tampered with local governments’ funds,’’ he said, adding: “The Uba Sani administration has been taking measures and executing programmes and projects to complement the efforts of local governments. Some of us served as local government chairmen when Malam Nasir el-Rufai was in office as governor. We can testify to the fact that what we have been receiving as monthly allocation since Senator Uba Sani became governor is more than double the amount we received during Malam El-Rufai’s administration.
“Apart from enhanced monthly allocations, we have been operating in an atmosphere devoid of harassment and intimidation.”
Besides the clean bill of health and a vote of confidence on Governor Uba Sani’s administration by ALGON, it went ahead to do a little comparative analysis of what obtained then and now. It exposed a lot of what went down during the El-Rufai days at Sir Kashim Ibrahim House, Kaduna. And this is what ALGON had to say:
“During his turbulent and divisive administration, Malam Nasir El-Rufai introduced and recklessly implemented ‘Riot Damage Deductions’ targeted at local governments in Southern Kaduna.
‘’It was a policy of “collective punishment” for Southern Kaduna people for not supporting his administration. This ill-advised action created disharmony and deepened inter-ethnic tensions in the state. Thankfully, this divisive policy has been reversed by the Uba Sani administration.
‘’Governor Sani administration’s Rural Transformation Programme has been pivotal in revitalising rural economies and giving rural dwellers a new lease of life. Hitherto inaccessible areas have been opened up, rural agriculture has been revived, jobs are being created, and security and peace have been restored.”
The ALGON spokesman further said the association “expected a person of Malam Nasir El-Rufai’s calibre to cross-check his facts before going public,’’ adding that the chairmen of the 23 local governments in the state had settled down to the business of governance.
“We are in a hurry to address the developmental challenges facing our people. We enjoy the confidence and support of Governor Uba Sani’s administration. We have never had cause to complain about the government’s actions,’’ he said.
Interestingly, ALGON is not alone.
Senator Shehu Sani, renowned human rights and pro-democracy activist who once represented Kaduna Central at the Upper Legislative Assembly, advised members of the public to disregard the statement credited to Mr El-Rufai because ‘’they are wild allegations not supported by facts.’’
The recent attempts by El-Rufai to demonize Governor Uba Sani through baseless accusations of fraud and corruption are not only mischievous but also a blatant affront to the values of transparency, accountability, service and integrity that have headlined the Governor Uba Sani administration since inception. Such actions are not merely personal vendettas; they represent a dangerous trend that undermines the very fabric of democratic governance and public trust.
By levelling unfounded allegations against Sani, El-Rufai seeks to distract the public from his administration’s shortcomings and failures. This tactic of deflection is not new in politics, but it is particularly egregious when it involves the deliberate misrepresentation of a leader’s intentions. Governor Uba Sani, who has taken the reins of leadership in Kaduna State, has consistently demonstrated a commitment to ethical governance, prioritizing transparency and accountability in all his policies.
Since assuming office, Governor Sani has implemented a series of reforms aimed at fostering an open and accountable government. His administration has made significant strides in enhancing public financial management, ensuring that state resources are utilized effectively and efficiently. By promoting transparency in budgeting and expenditure, Governor Uba Sani has empowered Kaduna State citizens to hold their government accountable, a principle that is essential for any democracy. In stark contrast to El-Rufai’s tactics, Governor Uba Sani’s approach is rooted in integrity and a genuine desire to serve the people of Kaduna State.
Musa-Jatto Esq, a legal practitioner and public affairs analyst, writes from Abuja