Lukman: Sani’s Outburst over Kaduna’s Alleged Debt Suggests Feud with el-Rufai

*I was insulted for saying no to loans, says Sani

John Shiklam in Kaduna and Adedayo Akinwale in Abuja 

A former National Vice Chairman, North-west of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Dr. Salihu Lukman, has said the recent outburst of Governor Uba Sani on the debt profile of the state suggested a strong disagreement and breakdown of relationship with his predecessor, Mallam Nasir El-Rufai.

Sani had at a town hall meeting in Kaduna, on Saturday, March 30, 2024, raised the alarm over the huge debt he inherited to the tune of $587 million, N85 billion, and 115 contractual liabilities from the administration el-Rufai. 

He added that because of this huge burden, out of N10 billion due the state from federal allocation, N7 billion was deducted, which leaves only N3 billion, saying with such reality, the state was finding it difficult to honour its monthly salary obligation of N5.2 billion to its workers.

Lukman, in a statement titled “Kaduna State Political Theatrics” while acknowledging the challenging reality facing the state, said it was important that the issue was not reduced to the politics of blame game and loud noise-making with praise singers on both sides defending their benefactors. 

He was of the opinion that the issue of the huge debt burden of Kaduna State was a public secret, adding that it was a matter that was very known to Sani. 

The APC chieftain stressed that although there could be new insight that he must have encountered after taking over as governor, he believed that he came well-prepared and ready to deal with the challenges and move Kaduna State forward from where El-Rufai left it. 

Lukman noted that part of the objective of the town hall meeting could as well be to mobilise the people of Kaduna State to support the initiatives of Kaduna State government. 

“Unfortunately, as it is, the report seems to be sensationalised, suggesting the reality of strong disagreement and breakdown of relationship between Mallam Nasir El-Rufai and Mallam Uba Sani, which could as well be the case. 

“I make this point cautiously having practically lost contact with both Mallam Nasir El-Rufai and Mallam Uba Sani since my resignation as National Vice Chairman (North-West) in July 2023. 

“I was only privileged to meet Mallam Uba once and there after couldn’t speak with him in any form. I only encountered Mallam Nasir once during the birthday reception of Chief Bisi Akande at the Presidential Villa and we only greeted and moved on.

“This notwithstanding, I can’t claim ignorance about some of the dynamics playing out in Kaduna State. I am aware of the growing animosity between Mallam Nasir and Mallam Uba, or at least I hear some of it from sources close to both of them. 

“However, given the reality that I am not close to both Mallam Nasir and Mallam Uba, I opted to keep my distance and not meddle into a dispute between two very close friends. 

“My expectation was that they will resolve the matter. Sadly, this doesn’t appear to be the case. I think, people close to Mallam Nasir and Mallam Uba are also not helping matters.”

Meanwhile, a former senator, who represented Kaduna Central senatorial between 2015 and 2019, Shehu Sani, has said he was insulted for rejecting the $350 million World Bank loan the Nasir el-Rufai administration sought.

Reacting to the governor’s comments on the huge debt profile of the state in an interview with journalists, Sani said if his advice was heeded, the state would  not have found  itself in the present predicament.

Sani and two other  senators from Kaduna state – Suleiman Hunkuyi (APC Kaduna North Senatorial zone) and Danjuma Laah (PDP, Kaduna South Central Senatorial zone), rejected moves by  el-Rufai to take the  $350 million World Bank loan.

Sani and Hunkuyi eventually lost their bids for re-election and were replaced by Uba Sani and Suleiman Kwari, who lobbied for the approval of the loan.

In May 2018, el-Rufai had while flagging off campaign for local government elections in Kaduna, rained curses and insults on  Sani, Hunkuyi and Laah for rejecting the loan and had called on the people to “shave  their beards and heads” whenever they come to Kaduna.

According to Sani, the hour of reckoning has come for every citizen of the state.

“I was insulted for saying no to that loan. The hour of reckoning is here to every person in Kaduna State. Just like the way Lot  (in the Bible) warned people, prophets of the past warned people, but they refused to hear and then you see perdition and affliction.

“In the same way, I warned the people of this state, but they were told that that the money will bring paradise – land of milk and honey. Today, you can see the problems at hand as far as that loan was concerned.

“If you look at it, what I said about this state, there has never been any of my prediction that has not come to pass. Today, the state is strangulated because of that money which we couldn’t pay.

“We borrowed $350 million when the naira was N400 to the dollar and we are going to pay when the naira is what it is today. If people heeded  to what I had said and understood me and agreed with me, we couldn’t have been where we are today,” he added.