Gov Sani Accuse El-Rufai Over Kaduna Govt Failure To Pay Salaries

Governor Uba Sani of Kaduna State has Accused the inability of his administration to pay workers’ salaries the huge debts, he said he inherited from the government of his predecessor, Nasir El-Rufai.

Sani stated this while addressing a town hall meeting in Kaduna on Saturday.

The governor said his administration inherited a huge debt burden of $587 million, N85 billion and 115 contractual liabilities from his predecessor.

He said N7 billion out of the N10 billion federal allocation for Kaduna in March was deducted to service the state’s debt.

Sani said the N3 billion, which the state was left with, was not enough to pay salaries as the state’s monthly salary bill stood at N5.2 billion.

According to him, owing to the rise in exchange rate, the state is now paying back almost triple of what was borrowed by the previous administration.

He, however, noted that despite the debt inherited, his administration had not borrowed a single kobo in the last 9 months.

Sani said, “Despite the huge debt burden of $587 million, N85 billion and 115 contractual liabilities sadly inherited from the previous administration, we remain resolute in steering Kaduna State towards progress and sustainable development.

“We have conducted a thorough assessment of our situation and are sharpening our focus accordingly.

“It gladdens my heart to inform you that despite the huge inherited debt on the state, till date, we have not borrowed a single kobo,” he said.

Sani listed the key priority areas of his government to include safety and security, housing, education and health care, as well as support for micro, small and medium enterprises.

The governor said his government would also prioritise inclusive development by investing in human capital, stimulating the economy and providing affordable housing.