Trouble is brewing in Kaduna where Bashir El-Rufai, the son of the immediate former Chief Executive, has labelled as incompetent current Governor Uba Sani for saying the predecessor left debts totalling ₦85 billion and $587 million, robbing the state of the capacity to pay salaries.
Sani, a former Senator (2019-2023) and godson of Nasir El-Rufai, has expressed difficulty in paying salaries owing to humongous debts accrued by the former administration.
Bashir El-Rufai in a series of tweets attacked the Governor, saying:
“The current administration in Kaduna is building a banquet hall for 7BN naira and is lamenting about debt left by the previous administration.
“FYI: He was the Senator from Kaduna who lobbied & approved the loans.
“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.
“One would think that from all the FAAC allocations these unserious clowns have changed to dollars, debt would be the least of their problems. Bashir El-Rufai.”
Sani revealed that his administration inherited a huge debt burden of $587 million, N85 billion and 115 contractual liabilities from the previous administration.
The Governor, who stated this in Kaduna this Saturday while addressing a Town Hall Meeting, added that the huge debt burden was eating deep into the State’s monthly Federal Allocation, and made it difficult meeting up with workers’ monthly salaries.
According to him, because of current high exchange rate, Kaduna State was paying back almost triple of what was borrowed by the previous administration of former Governor Nasir El-Rufai.
He claimed that for March 2024, when N10 billion came from the Federal allocation due to the Kaduna, N7 billion was deducted for debt servicing.
Sani lamented that the balance of N3 billion was inadequate to settle the state’s monthly salary bill of N5.2 billion.
He said: “Despite the huge debt burden of $587 million, N85 billion and 115 contractual liabilities, 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.
