March 30, (THEWILL)- Kaduna State governor, Uba Sani, has disclosed that his administration inherited a huge debt burden of $587 million, N85 billion, and 115 contractual liabilities from the previous administration, making it difficult for him to pay workers’ salaries.
The Governor, who spoke on Saturday, at a Town Hall Meeting, lamented that the debt was eating deep into the State’s monthly Federal Allocation, and making it difficult to pay monthly salaries.
He also said due to the rise in the exchange rate, Kaduna State is now paying back almost triple what was borrowed by the previous administration of former governor, Nasir El-Rufai.
Sani, who said N7 billion out of the N10 billion Federal Allocation due to the State in March, was deducted to service the debt, disclosed that the state was left with N3 billion, an amount which is not enough to pay salaries, as the state’s monthly salary bill stands at N5.2 billion.
However, despite the debt burden on the State government, Sani said he had yet to borrow a single kobo in the last nine months of his administration. He assured that his administration remained resolute in steering Kaduna State towards progress and sustainable development, as the government has conducted a thorough assessment of the situation.
“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. We have conducted a thorough assessment of our situation and are sharpening our focus accordingly.
“The Key priority areas of our government include Safety and Security, Housing, Education, Healthcare, and Support for Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs). We are also prioritizing inclusive development by investing in human capital, stimulating the economy, and providing affordable housing”, he said.
Governor Sani highlighted some of his administration’s top priorities for 2024, including; safety and security, infrastructural development, education development, house and urban development, social intervention and investment drive among others.
On security, the Governor said the state has made a lot of progress through revamping the Kaduna State Vigilance Service (KADVS) by recruiting 7,000 additional personnel for the service, while over 100 operational vehicles and 100 motorcycles have been procured for distribution to KADVS and the Federal security agencies working in the state.
In the area of education, Sani said aside from the establishment of several skills and vocational cities to address skills deficits in the state, his government in collaboration with Kuwait is working to reduce out-of-school children in Kaduna by 200,000., adding that the four-year program which will start in May or June 2024, is a 62 million dollar project that will build 102 new schools in Kaduna and renovate 170 existing ones within four year.
For infrastructure, the Governor also said that, despite the numerous challenges confronting the state, “our collective efforts are essential for Kaduna State’s progress. We aspire to make rural living enjoyable and transform Kaduna into a premier business hub. Our ultimate goal is to rebuild trust and foster peace and harmony”.
Also speaking at the event, former Chief of Defence Staff, General Martin Luther Agwai (rtd) urged efforts to address the security challenges facing the state, noting that without peace and security, no meaningful development can be achieved.
He commended Governor Uba Sani for cutting the cost of governance due to the huge debt of the state, while all residents eschew political, religious, or ethnic differences and support the state government in overcoming the debt challenge.
In his remarks, the Emir of Zazzau, Ambassador Ahmad Nuhu Bamali, expressed optimism that despite the challenges facing the state, the governor has the capability to turn around the economy of the state for effective development.
He pledged the support of all traditional rulers in the state to ensure that his administration succeeded.”
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