Kaduna Assembly begins probe on El-Rufai's govt

The Kaduna State House of Assembly has initiated an investigation into the state government’s financial dealings during former governor Nasir El-Rufa’i’s tenure.

Recall that Pulse reported earlier that the Kaduna State House of Assembly formed a 13-person ad-hoc committee to examine the financial dealings, loans, grants, and project implementation during the tenure of the previous governor, Malam Nasir El-Rufai.

As reported by Punch, a letter sent to the Commissioner of Finance by the clerk’s office of the Kaduna State House of Assembly, citing reference LEG/S.382/VOL.II/615 requests the submission of memos and records concerning financial transactions from 2015 to May 2023.

The letter, signed by Barr. Sakinatu Hassan Idris (Mrs.), Clerk to the Legislature said, “The Kaduna State House of Assembly at its One Hundred and Fiftieth (150th) Sitting on Tuesday, 16 April, 2024, Resolved and Constituted an Ad-Hoc Committee to investigate Loans, Financial Transactions, Contractual Liabilities & Other Related Matters of The Government of Kaduna State from 29 May, 2015 to 29 May, 2023, in accordance with Order XVI Rule 9 of the Standing Orders and Rules of the Kaduna State House of Assembly, 2019 and Section 103, 128 & 129 of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999 (as Amended).”

The letter added, “Accordingly, I am directed to request you to forward to the Ad-Hoc Committee Memorandum to be accompanied with the Underlisted DOCUMENTS and all other documents you consider relevant to the assignment of the Committee:-

(i) (a) Total Loans from May, 2015 to May, 2023 with the approvals of the Kaduna State House of Assembly, the Accounts into which the Loans were Lodged and draw. downs as recorded by Project Finance Management Unit (PFMU) & Debt Management Office (DMO).

(b) Relevant State Executive Council Minutes of meetings, Council’s Extracts and Resolutions with regards to the Loans.

(c) Payments and Outstanding Labilities to Contractors from May, 2015- May, 2023.

(d) Reports of Salaries paid to Staff from 2016-2022.

(e) Dloyd Reports on KADRIS from 2015 to 2023.

(ii) Terms, Purpose and Conditions on those Loans.

(iii) Appropriation items related to the LOANS.

(iv) All Records of payments made to all Contractors engaged by the State Government and relevant documents from May, 2015 to May, 2023 including Bank Statements.

(v) Modalities for payments of contracts.

(vi) Documents of all payments made to the contractors.

(vii) Sales of Government Houses/Properties and Accounts the proceeds were lodged and how the money was expended.”

The announcement specifies that 30 duplicates of the memorandum or documents need to be delivered to the Clerk's office by 10:00 am on Thursday, April 25th, 2024.