El-Rufai: “My successor inherits N80bn and $577mn in debt.”

Nasir El-Rufai, the recently-retired governor of Kaduna State, stated on Monday that he left the state in a better state than when he arrived in 2015 because he started legacy projects that gave the people more power.

El-Rufai stated he left N5 billion and $2.05 million in the state coffers.

He did, however, reveal that he also left the new administration with a domestic debt of N80.60 billion and a foreign debt of $577.32 million.

“The Federal Government owes Kaduna State approximately N41 billion in reimbursements for infrastructure and security expenditures, which will be paid to the state in due course.

This excludes the sums owed to the state as a portion of the total stamp duty receipts, which are expected to total more than N100 billion and which the incoming administration will undoubtedly receive before the end of this year.

“I am therefore optimistic that the incoming government will, in due course, be in a position to settle all inherited liabilities, complete ongoing projects, and initiate new ones by the Grace of God,” said El-Rufai.

In the meantime, Senator Uba Sani was sworn in as the new governor of Kaduna State on Monday. He promised that his administration would serve all residents of the state, regardless of their political, racial, or religious affiliation.

In his inaugural speech, the governor renamed the well-known “Rabah Road,” where the late Sardauna of Sokoto and Premier of the defunct Northern Nigeria, Sir Ahmadu Bello, lived, as “Nasir El-Rufai Road,” shortly after being sworn in at the Murtala Square in Kaduna with his deputy, Dr. Hadiza Balarabe.

The governor stated that he took office as the state’s new leader “well prepared, very determined, and imbued with a clear vision for the continued progress” for the state in a prepared speech titled “Hope renewed; consolidation assured.”

Inclusion, fairness, justice, and equity would serve as the guiding principles of his administration, he added.

He added that the settler/indigene dichotomy would disappear in Kaduna State while he was governor because “we are all citizens of Kaduna State with equal rights, privileges, and responsibilities.”

“My government will be the government of all,” the governor declared. I owe you something, regardless of whether you supported me in the election. I’ll treat everyone fairly.

He counselled his successor to put together a capable team to assist him in efficiently managing the affairs of the state.