‘It’s A Politically-motivated Hatchet Job’ – El-Rufai On Alleged ‘N423bn Fraud Indictment’

Former Kaduna State Governor, Nasir El-Rufai, on Wednesday, responded to fraud allegation leveled against his administration by the State House of Assembly, accusing the state lawmakers of executing a politically-motivated hatchet job.

A report by the House of Assembly had earlier in the day accused el-Rufai’s administration from 2015 to 2023 of embezzling over N423 billion, while also indicting him of money laundering but El-Rufai declared that he complied with all extant laws in all his activities while he was the governor.

“I served the state with integrity and my record in office cannot be altered by any malicious effort”, he declared.

The chairman of the ad-hoc committee set up by the House of Assembly to investigate all the finances, loans and contracts awarded during the Nasir El-Rufai administration, Magaji Danjuma, had earlier on Wednesday submitted the report to the House.

He said the committee discovered evidence of several cases of alleged corruption in the running of the state from May 2015 to May 2023.

Danjuma said that the committee had also discovered some alleged improper awards of contracts without due process with some loans collected without the approval of the Assembly.

While reading the report summary, the Speaker, Dahiru Liman, said that the El-Rufai administration had a total income of N1.49 trillion in the years under review, adding that “some of these monies were allegedly misappropriated”.

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But, in a statement by El-Rufai’s Media Adviser, Mr. Muyiwa Adekeye, he described the Assembly’s action as “jaundiced probe” which should be disregarded.

“We are aware of news that the Kaduna State House of Assembly has adopted the report of the ad-hoc committee it asked to probe the El-Rufai government. We have not been availed a copy of the report, to which we would respond robustly whenever we obtain it. We affirm the integrity of the El-Rufai government and dismiss the scandalous claims being aired as the report of the committee.

“Malam Nasir El-Rufai is immensely proud of his record of governance and the legacy he left in Kaduna State. This record of 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.

“Many of the officials who served in the El-Rufai government appeared before the ad-hoc committee because of their confidence in the quality of their service and the rectitude which they served Kaduna State. They were under no illusion that they were participating in a fair process. 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.

“It is sad to see such a shameful departure from any notion of decency and fairness by a state legislature. We dismiss with contempt the claims being peddled in connection with the report.

“Malam El-Rufai wishes to assure discerning Nigerians that he served Kaduna State with integrity and to the best of his capacity, assisted by a hardworking and patriotic team. He complied with all extant laws in all his activities while he was the governor. This jaundiced probe should be disregarded as the politically motivated hatchet job it is”.

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(Freedom Online, excluding headline)