The Kaduna State Governor, Uba Sani, has said that his predecessor, Nasir el-Rufai, left him with a huge debt burden that will make it difficult for him to pay the salaries of the state’s civil servants.
Governor Sani said this at a town hall meeting on Saturday in Kaduna, where he reeled out the debts left by el-Rufai.
He said among others, he inherited a debt of $587 million, N85 billion and 115 contractual liabilities from the previous administration.
He said though he was yet to borrow any money since he came into office on May 29, 2023, it was becoming increasingly difficult for him to pay salaries.
Giving an instance of the last receipt from the Federation Accounts Allocation Committee, he said while N10 billion accrued to the state, N7 billion was removed to service debt, whereas the monthly wage bill of the state stands at N5.2 billion.
Governor said 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.
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“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.”
El-Rufai had in his handover note to Sani last year informed his of a domestic debt of N80.60 billion and foreign debt of $577.32 million, adding that he N5 billion and $2.05 million in the treasury.
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