Dr. Daniel Bwala, former spokesman for the Atiku Presidential Campaign Organisation, has criticized former Kaduna State Governor Nasir El-Rufai for burdening his successor, Governor Uba Sani, with a staggering debt of $587 million and N85 billion.
In a scathing post on X on Sunday morning, Bwala accused El-Rufai of making Kaduna “ungovernable” due to the massive debt load left behind.
Bwala highlighted the crippling impact of such a debt burden on governance, arguing that it impedes the state’s ability to function effectively.
Expressing concern for Governor Sani’s daunting task, Bwala called upon divine intervention to guide him in navigating Kaduna State’s financial challenges.
“There are two ways a bad leader can make a state ungovernable; one is to promote or allow insecurity to thrive and the other is to leave a debt burden beyond states’ comprehension.
“With a debt burden of 587 million Dollars, 85 billion Naira, and 115 Contractual Liabilities, the past administration of Kaduna State has made the state ungovernable.
“May God help Governor Sani to find ways to govern Kaduna State,” Bwala wrote.
The revelation of Kaduna’s fiscal crisis comes amid Governor Sani’s admission that the inherited debt is crippling the state’s finances, hindering the timely payment of workers’ salaries.
Addressing a Town Hall Meeting in Kaduna, the governor disclosed the precarious financial situation, citing the exorbitant debt servicing costs that are draining the state’s monthly allocation of funds.
He lamented the impact of currency fluctuations, revealing that the state is now repaying significantly more than it borrowed under the previous administration.
Governor Sani further revealed that a substantial portion of the state’s federal allocation for March was diverted to debt servicing, exacerbating the financial strain on the state’s budget.
With the monthly salary bill exceeding available funds, the governor faces an uphill task in balancing Kaduna State’s finances amid mounting debt obligations.
