Prominent pro-democracy and pro-transparency group popularly known as Human Rights Writers Association Of Nigeria (HURIWA) has tasked the Kaduna State Governor Mr. Uba Sani to respond to the allegations of corruption and diversion of Local council funds made against him by his estranged political mentor and immediate past governor, Mr. Nasir El-Rufai.
HURIWA expressed the strong view that anti-corruption campaigners and Pro-democracy Advocacy organizations are eagerly waiting for the response of the serving governor of Kaduna State to debunk factually these accusations because of the severity of the allegations of siphoning public funds made against him by the immediate past governor who although spoke without adducing convincing and concrete justification for the allegations.
The civil society organisation said, Nevertheless, millions of Nigerians would have swallowed hook, line and sinker, these sets of sensational allegations levelled against Governor Uba Sani by former Governor Nasir El-Rufai. HURIWA said public perception is critical which is the fundamental reason we are demanding that the serving governor of Kaduna State should immediately respond to these heavy financial allegations.
“A public office holder such as the Kaduna State Governor who has made a lot of media Statements demonstrating his commitment towards good governance and the improvement of the quality of life of the rural and urban poor, it would be disingenuous and absolutely unacceptable that a massive corruption allegation made against him by his predecessor are treated as idle talks.”
HURIWA in a media release endorsed by the National Coordinator Comrade Emmanuel Onwubiko said the Kaduna State Governor Mr. Uba Sani should State his own side to respond to the allegations by El-Rufai or he could also Institute a defamation suit in the court of law against his predecessor as a way of defending himself of those allegations.
The Rights group said the former governor of Kaduna State should immediately publicise the documentary evidence to back up his allegations of diversions of local council funds to buy housing assets offshore that he made against the current governor of Kaduna State Mr. Uba Sani.
“We expect that the anti-corruption commissions would request that the former governor of Kaduna State files a formal petition against the Kaduna State Governor indicating the said houses that El-Rufai accused his successor of buying in many overseas countries including South Africa and United Kingdom. This is important especially now that the Independent corrupt practices and other related offences commission is investigating some of the key commissioners who worked under the administration of the then Governor Nasir El-Rufai.
HURIWA recalled that the former Kaduna State Governor, Mallam Nasir El-Rufai, had reportedly accused his successor, Senator Uba Sani, of diverting local government (LG) funds to purchase properties in Seychelles, South Africa, and the United Kingdom.
El-Rufai, who recently defected from the All Progressives Congress (APC) to the Social Democratic Party (SDP), made the allegations during an interview with Freedom Radio Kaduna on Monday.
He claimed that Sani converted local government allocations into dollars to acquire the foreign assets.
He also said that this was a departure from what transpired during his tenure when he did not interfere with local government funds.
“When I was governor, I never took a kobo from local government funds. We gave them their allocations to operate. Once we set aside funds for SUBEB, primary healthcare, and other necessary deductions, we handed over the remaining money. Both the PDP and APC chairmen are alive to testify,” he said.
El-Rufai alleged that the current administration was embezzling local government funds, adding that the federal government agencies were overlooking this because the governor was allegedly carrying out the operation to pull down El-Rufai at the behest of powerful forces in the presidency.
He had earlier alleged that the National Security Adviser (NSA), Nuhu Ribadu was the architect of this operation because of presidential ambitions. The NSA has, however, denied the allegation.
“As I speak, no local government in Kaduna receives more than N50 million per month. Once the allocation arrives, they siphon it, exchange it into dollars, and use it to buy properties in Seychelles, South Africa, London, and other places.
“They think that because we are silent, we are unaware of what is happening. But we know everything. We know how they divert the money and the bureau de change operators involved. Those accusing us of corruption are actually doing worse,” he added.
El-Rufai also denied ever receiving bribes from contractors and challenged anyone with evidence to come forward.
“I have never stolen a kobo from anyone. If any contractor has given me a bribe, let him come forward.
“When the ICPC invited many contractors, they testified that they had never met me. Contracts worth billions were executed without me ever meeting the contractors—I worked only through commissioners and permanent secretaries,” he stated.
Furthermore, he accused Governor Sani of collecting kickbacks before awarding contracts.
“Uba goes to Abuja with contract documents, offering them to contractors in exchange for a 40 per cent kickback. We know what is happening. They assumed that was how we ran the government, but they are wrong,” he alleged.
HURIWA has therefore challenged Governor Uba Sani to categorically respond to each of these allegations made against him by his predecessor just as the Rights group has called on the anti-corruption commissions to interrogate and forensically analyse the contract papers signed by the current Kaduna State Governor with a view to ascertaining the veracity or otherwise of the accusation by El-Rufai that Governor Uba Sani demands some large chunk of the payments made to contractors handing public facilities in Kaduna State.
“We must make it clear that our position is a call for the truth to be uncovered and doesn’t mean that we believe those allegations. When allegations are made in public, the accused must state his or her own side so as to give the members of the public the benefit of knowing the whole truth and nothing but the truth.
“Nigerians should be told the correct position of these whole thing because ultimately democracy is the government of the people. Equally, if these are sham and/or ‘malicious’ allegations, the Kaduna State Governor should drag his predecessor to court for defamation of his character so the court of law can reach a determination because character is everything.” The statement concluded.
