Dozens of protesters gathered at the Kaduna State Government House to demand the immediate arrest of former governor Nasir El-Rufai on Thursday.
The protesters, under the banner of Kaduna Citizens Watch for Good Governance, also called for thorough investigations into the borrowings and expenditures during El-Rufai’s administration.
They urged Governor Uba Sani to involve the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and other relevant anti-corruption agencies to arrest and prosecute El-Rufai for alleged financial mismanagement amounting to N423 billion.
The demonstrators sang solidarity songs and held placards with various messages. Some of the inscriptions read: “We will occupy all MDAs to chase out all indicted persons in the report” and “Stop servicing all loans that did not follow due process before they were obtained.”
Addressing the media, Comrade Victor Duniya, leader of the protesting group, said, “We, the Kaduna Citizens Watch for Good Governance, appreciate your presence as we express our grievances today. Our state has endured financial mismanagement, abuse of power, and a growing debt burden for the past eight years.”
Duniya highlighted several troubling findings, including the diversion of 10.5 billion naira meant for pastoral nomadism and the construction of the Milk Industry at Damau, Kubau LGA, for the construction of Galaxy Mall, Kaduna. He also mentioned overpayments to contractors, payments to unregistered companies, and funds disbursed for incomplete work, amounting to over 36.3 billion naira.
“The report also revealed large sums of money withdrawn from the state treasury without proper documentation of its usage. Furthermore, an expenditure of over 11 billion naira on a non-existent MRT transportation scheme was documented with no evidence to support it,” Duniya added.
On March 30, Governor Sani lamented the huge debt burden of $587 million, N85 billion, and 115 contractual liabilities inherited from the previous administration. The Kaduna State House of Assembly subsequently formed an ad-hoc committee to investigate the state’s financial transactions during El-Rufai’s tenure, recommending a probe of the financial dealings.
The protesters called on Governor Sani to implement relevant sections of the report under his purview and to forward the committee’s findings to anti-corruption agencies for further action.
Later, the Deputy Governor, Dr. Hadiza Balarabe, Secretary to the State Government Abdulkadir Meyere, Deputy Chief of Staff Umar Hassan Waziri, Private Personal Secretary Professor Bello Ayuba, and other officials received the group’s leader behind closed doors.