Governor Uba Sani‘s government of Kaduna State has denied the assertions made by former Governor Nasir El-Rufai, who claimed that all projects recently inaugurated by President Bola Tinubu during his visit to Kaduna were initiated by his administration.
In an interview with Arise television on Monday, the former governor stated that all the projects inaugurated by the President during his visit to the state were initiated by his administration.
However, the state government responded to his claims by labelling El-Rufai’s statements as a “blatant falsehood” and an effort to misrepresent the truth.
In a statement released by the Chief Press Secretary to the Governor, Ibraheem Musa, on Tuesday, the government detailed the actual origins and accomplishments of the projects inaugurated by President Tinubu, stressing that they were either initiated or completed during Governor Sani’s tenure.
During his official visit to Kaduna, Tinubu inaugurated three significant projects, which include the Institutes of Vocational Training and Skills Development, the 300-bed Bola Ahmed Tinubu Specialist Hospital, and 100 Compressed Natural Gas Buses.
The state government clarified that the institutes of vocational training were entirely initiated and completed by Governor Sani’s administration.
These projects include the Abdulkadir Balarabe Musa Institute in Rigachiku, the Col. Dangiwa Umar Institute in Soba, and the Sir Patrick Ibrahim Yakowa Institute in Samaru Kataf.
According to the statement, these institutes are essential to Governor Sani’s human capital development agenda, which aims to equip the youth of Kaduna with practical skills through state-of-the-art facilities, to graduate 36,000 youths each year.
“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 subsidised fares for the general public thereafter.
“This initiative demonstrates our administration’s commitment to social welfare and environmental sustainability.”
The statement additionally highlighted that the 300-bed Bola Ahmed Tinubu Specialist Hospital was initially envisioned during the administration of former Governor Namadi Sambo.
However, it added that the project remained unfinished across three consecutive administrations until Governor Sani assumed office.
It elaborated that when Governor Sani took on his responsibilities, he discovered the hospital was only 53% complete and lacked necessary 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.”