N432bn Probe Report: El-Rufai Sues Kaduna Assembly
Mallam Nasir El-Rufai, the former governor of Kaduna state, has filed a lawsuit against the Kaduna State House of Assembly for alleging that during his eight years in office, he embezzled ₦432 billion, leaving the state beset by massive debt obligations.
El-Rufai launched a lawsuit for fundamental human rights against the state House of Assembly on Wednesday at the Federal High Court in Kaduna.
The lawsuit was brought by Senior Advocate of Nigeria Abdulhakeem Mustapha, the ex-governor’s attorney, and it contested the Kaduna Assembly Committee’s findings that implicated El-Rufai in corruption charges.
El-Rufai is asking the court to declare the Assembly probe’s report void because he was not given a fair chance to address the accusations the committee made against him and his administration.
The Kaduna State House of Assembly, the state attorney general, and the commissioner of justice are joined in the lawsuit as respondents.
The state Assembly’s ad hoc committee, tasked with looking into all contracts, loans, and financing awarded during the El-Rufai administration had given its findings to the House in June.
The majority of the loans acquired under El-Rufai’s government, according to Henry Zacharia, the chairman of the ad hoc committee, were not used for the intended purpose, and in certain instances, the proper procedures were not followed to secure the loans.
Yusuf Liman, the Speaker of the Assembly, added that the El-Rufai administration was accused of embezzling ₦423 billion, leaving the state with enormous liabilities.
Therefore, the committee suggested that security and anti-corruption organisations look into and prosecute El-Rufai and a few members of his cabinet for alleged abuse of power, misappropriation of public funds, and money laundering.
Additionally, the committee suggested that Shizer Badda, the Commissioner of Finance and who also served in the same capacity during El-Rufai’s administration, be suspended immediately.
El-Rufai’s spokesperson, Muyiwa Adekeye, responded by reiterating the government’s integrity and denouncing the committee’s allegations as “scandalous.”
He said, “Malam Nasir El-Rufai is immensely proud of his record of governance and the legacy he left in Kaduna State. This record of consistently 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 has 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.”
