The Kaduna State Government has refuted claims by former Governor Nasir El-Rufai that all projects recently commissioned by President Bola Tinubu during his visit to Kaduna were initiated by his administration.
The former governor had claimed in an Arise television interview on Monday that all the projects commissioned by the President during his visit to state were initiated by his administration.
But the state government, in response to his claim, described El-Rufai’s assertions as a “bare-faced lie” and an attempt to distort facts.
In a statement issued by the Chief Press Secretary to Governor Uba Sani, Ibraheem Musa on Tuesday, the government outlined the true origins and achievements of the projects commissioned by President Tinubu, emphasising that they were either initiated or completed under Governor Sani’s administration.
It said during his official visit to Kaduna, Tinubu inaugurated three major projects, including the Institutes of Vocational Training and Skills Development; 300-bed Bola Ahmed Tinubu Specialist Hospital and 100 Compressed Natural Gas Buses.
The state government clarified that the institutes of vocational training were fully initiated and completed by Governor Sani’s administration.
These projects, it noted, include Abdulkadir Balarabe Musa Institute, Rigachiku, Col. Dangiwa Umar Institute, Soba and the Sir Patrick Ibrahim Yakowa Institute, Samaru Kataf
According to the statement, these institutes are integral to Governor Sani’s human capital development agenda, designed to equip Kaduna’s youth with practical skills with state-of-the-art facilities that aim to graduate 36,000 youths annually.
“The National Board for Technical Education (NBTE) has certified these institutions as the best-equipped skills development centres in Nigeria,” Musa said, quoting NBTE’s Executive Secretary, Prof. Idris Bugaje, who commended the facilities as unmatched in the country.
The state government also highlighted the introduction of 100 CNG buses, a Governor Sani initiative aimed at alleviating the impact of fuel subsidy removal, noted that “these eco-friendly buses offer free rides to workers, retirees, and students for the first six months, with subsidized fares for the general public thereafter.”
“This initiative demonstrates our administration’s commitment to social welfare and environmental sustainability,” the statement added.
The statement further noted that the 300-bed Bola Ahmed Tinubu Specialist Hospital was originally conceptualised during the tenure of former Governor Namadi Sambo, adding however that the project lingered incomplete through three successive administrations until Governor Sani took office.
It explained that upon assumption of duty, Governor Sani found the hospital at just 53% completion and devoid of essential medical equipment.
“The structure was an emblem of waste and mismanagement,” the statement noted.
According to the statement, Sani prioritised the hospital’s completion, equipping the 300-bed facility with modern medical technology as part of a broader healthcare revitalisation agenda.
“The hospital’s successful completion is a signature achievement of Governor Sani’s administration,” Musa stated.
The statement titled: “El-Rufai and his litany of lies,” partly reads, “The attention of the Kaduna State Government has been drawn to the bare-faced lies disseminated by the former Governor of Kaduna State, His Excellency, Malam Nasir El-Rufai, regarding the projects recently commissioned by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu during his visit to Kaduna.
“In a widely circulated television interview, Malam El-Rufai falsely claimed that all the projects commissioned by Mr. President were initiated by his administration. This assertion is not only misleading but a blatant distortion of the truth.
“In light of these tangible and verifiable achievements, Malam Nasir El-Rufai’s resort to distortions and falsehoods is regrettable but not surprising. While he is entitled to his opinions, facts remain sacred. Governor Uba Sani has succeeded where others have faltered. No amount of revisionism can rewrite the truth.”
PUNCH.
