The Governor of Kaduna State, Nasir El-Rufai, has said that he has never stolen money from the state government and that he is ready to swear to prove he is telling the truth.
Challenging his predecessors, the governor said they should also come out to swear, if their hands are clean, as he threatened to expose them for pilfering the state treasury.
El-Rufai said this in an interview in Hausa monitored on a local television and radio station, where he explained that his philosophy in governance was not to steal, adding that he is aware that there would be a day of reckoning.
Stating that all loans secured to facilitate projects in the state during his administration were used only for the specified projects, El-Rufai said, “The people can see that we executed those projects with the loans we secured. We did not siphon the money to Dubai and buy houses, or go to Jabi road and build a mansion.
“We are not like such people. I became the governor of Kaduna State with only one house located at Danja Street in Unguwan Sarki Kaduna. I’ve completed my tenure, Alhamdulillah…that is my only house. I don’t have any other house. I didn’t build a mansion. I don’t even need it.
“I did not steal anybody’s money and I am challenging those who governed Kaduna to come out and swear that they’ve never stolen money, they should swear that they’ve not taken a kobo from Kaduna State.
“Wallahi, l am ready to swear. I am challenging them (former governors) to come out, face the people of Kaduna State and swear that they’ve never stolen the people’s money.”
Continuing he said, “We know them, they are neither the children of Dantata ( legendary Kano billionaire) nor the children of Dangote. We know them right from our school days. Where do they get the money to build those houses? What was their profession?”
The governor, however, stated that his administration still had work to do but boasted about the works already completed, especially the roads constructed in the state.
He said, “I’m happy that we constructed qualitative roads that would last for years, not those kinds of roads they’ve constructed in the past which after two years, after two rainy seasons the roads would be bad.
“We still have work to do. Our plan is that want all roads in Kaduna to be tarred. Anyone who comes to Kaduna would not see a muddy road. Every part of the town you visit will have tarred roads and solar-powered street lights. That’s what we envisaged everywhere in Kaduna, in Kafanchan, in Zaria, and in all Local Government Areas such as Soba, everywhere. That is what we want to see.”
“However, we couldn’t realize all our development plans because of the situation this government met. In fact, we had to seek loans to execute those projects.”
