Governor El-Rufai publicly curses three Kaduna senators for opposing World Bank loan request

KADUNA State governor Nasir El-Rufai has cursed the three senators representing the state for opposing a $350m loan his government was seeking from the World Bank when the matter came up in the senate.

Last month, the senate decided not to approve the loan request after a committee headed by Senator Shehu Sani representing Kaduna Central Senatorial District advised against it on the ground that the state is the second most indebted in the country. Senator Sani, who is the chairman of the Senate Committee on Foreign and Domestic Loans, argued that the new loan if approved will erode economic viability of Kaduna State.

His position was supported by the two other senators from the state - Suleiman Hunkuyi, representing Kaduna North and Danjuma La’ah representing Kaduna South. Furious at the opposition from the senators, Governor El-Rufai described them as enemies of the state, people and the ruling All Progressive Congress (APC).

Governor El-Rufai has vowed to go ahead with the loan request despite the decision by the senate that the Nigerian government should not guarantee the facility. According to the governor, nothing can stop the Kaduna State government from obtaining the loan  for development.

Suleiman Abdu Kwari, the Kaduna State finance commissioner, said the excuse given on the floor of the senate as to the size of the state’s loan was baseless. He added that with the way the three senators from the state spoke against the loan, it was apparent they had put their personal frustrations above the right of the people of the state.

According to Mr Kwari, the World Bank was convinced the state has met the conditions needed for the  approval of the loan. Yesterday, Governor El-Rufai said the electorate did not send the senators to the National Assembly to work against the interest of the state.

Governor El-Rufai said: “The World Bank decided to support us with a $350m loan so that we can support projects that will improve the lives of the people of Kaduna State. However, the enemies of our people, the three senators of Kaduna State in the senate blocked it.

"May Allah curse them.  They are behaving as if their personal ego is more important than the 10m of people in the state.”

He added that the World Bank approved the loan for the state because it was convinced of the viability of the projects. Governor El-Rufai threatened that the electorate would vote out the senators for their action against the wish of the people.

“These politicians of deceit and selfishness are doing similar thing at the national level to cripple the government of our leader Muhammadu Buhari. They kept the budget of 2018 in limbo and they are threatening to impeach the president after their conspiracy on changing the order of election collapsed," Governor El-Rufai added.