Kaduna Assembly Probes EI-Rufai for $350m World Bank Loan

The Kaduna State House of Assembly has set up a committee to investigate the use of a $350 million loan secured from the World Bank during the tenure of former Governor Nasir El-Rufai.

The committee’s mandate goes beyond the loan to include an examination of other financial expenses and abandoned projects initiated by the previous government between 2015 and 2023.

During Tuesday’s plenary session, Assembly Speaker Yusuf Liman inaugurated a 13-member committee to carry out the investigation.

The committee’s creation was prompted by a motion put forward by Mugu Yusuf, the representative of the Kauru constituency, calling for a comprehensive review of all loans obtained by El-Rufai’s administration.

In the ensuing debate, Yusuf Zailani, the former House Speaker who presided over the period when the Kaduna State Government secured the loan, refuted claims that the ninth assembly had approved the executive’s borrowing.

Two other legislators, Henry Marah (representing Jaba constituency) and Samuel Kambai (from Zangon Kataf constituency), pointed out the constitutional responsibility of lawmakers to approve loans before the governor proceeds with borrowing. However, they explained that the situation in Kaduna was different.

The committee has been urged to summon the eighth and ninth assembly speakers, along with relevant members of those assemblies, to provide detailed explanations regarding the loan acquisition and its subsequent utilization.

Assembly Speaker Yusuf Liman stressed the importance of transparency and pledged that the matter would be thoroughly investigated. Liman assured all stakeholders that they would have the opportunity to present their perspectives truthfully.

The 13-member committee comprises several key individuals, including Aminu Anti (chairman, representing Doka Gabasawa), Yusuf Mugu Kaura (deputy chairman), Munira Tanimu, and Hon Shehu Yunusa, among others.

In March, Governor Uba Sani of Kaduna State disclosed that he inherited a substantial debt burden, including $587 million, N85 billion, and 115 contractual liabilities from El-Rufai’s administration.