A former Secretary of the Association of Local Governments of Nigeria (ALGON) in Kaduna State, Kabiru Jarimi, has challenged former Governor Nasir El-Rufai to account for deducted local government allocations during his administration.
El-Rufai’s Allegations & Jarimi’s Response
El-Rufai, in a recent interview with Freedom Radio Kaduna, alleged that his successor, Governor Uba Sani, was diverting local government funds to acquire properties in Seychelles, South Africa, and the UK.
“No local government in Kaduna receives more than N50m per month. Once the allocation arrives, they siphon it, exchange it into dollars, and use it to buy properties abroad,” El-Rufai claimed.
However, Jarimi dismissed the allegations, calling them misleading. He insisted that under El-Rufai’s tenure, local governments were systematically deprived of their full allocations through various deductions.
Systematic Deductions Under El-Rufai
Jarimi alleged that deductions were made from local government allocations under different guises, particularly targeting Southern Kaduna LGAs.
“I was shocked by El-Rufai’s comment because, under his administration, LG funds were deducted without our approval. We never received our full allocations, and at times, we barely had enough left after paying salaries,” he stated.
He further explained that local governments were forced to remit funds to Kaduna Capital Territory Authority, Zaria Metropolitan Authority, and Kafanchan Municipal Authority, which he claimed were created as mechanisms to withhold funds from local councils.
“Salaries were shared 60-40 between these capital territories and the LGAs around them. In Kaduna South, deductions were justified in the name of sanitation, with mandatory remittances to the Kaduna Capital Territory Authority,” Jarimi added.
Unaccounted Security & Riot Damage Funds
The former ALGON scribe also challenged El-Rufai to explain how the security and riot damage funds were utilized, claiming that no former LGA chairman could account for them.
“We contributed to a security fund, yet there’s no record of how it was used. The same applies to the riot damage fund—no LGA benefited from it. I challenge the former governor to disclose where these funds went,” he stated.
Commendation for Governor Uba Sani
Jarimi praised Governor Uba Sani for reversing many of El-Rufai’s financial policies, including the abolition of the Kaduna Capital Territory Authority, Zaria Metropolitan Authority, and Kafanchan Municipal Authority.
Additionally, he commended the Sani-led administration for ensuring that a percentage of the state’s Internally Generated Revenue (IGR) is now allocated to local governments.
“Unlike before, LGAs now have more control over their funds, and the government’s financial practices are more transparent,” Jarimi concluded.
