Kaduna State governor, Uba Sani, has raised the alarm over high debt profile he inherited from his predecessor, Nasir El-Rufai.
Speaking at a town hall meeting on Saturday, Mr Sani said his administration inherited a debt burden of $587 million, N85 billion, and 115 contractual liabilities from the El-Rufai administration.
He lamented that the rise in the exchange rate has forced the state to pay almost triple what was borrowed by the previous administration.
He explained that the huge debt burden was eating deep into the state’s federal allocation, making it difficult for the government to pay salaries.
“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.
“It gladdens my heart to inform you that despite the huge inherited debt on the state, till date, we have not borrowed a single kobo,” Mr Sani said.
He emphasised that the key priority areas of the current administration include, safety and security, housing, education, healthcare, and support for micro, small, and medium enterprises, MSMEs.
He said his government would also prioritise inclusive development by investing in human capital, stimulating the economy, and providing affordable housing.
Revealing his achievements on security, the governor said the state has made a lot of progress through the revamping of 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, Mr Sani said aside from the establishment of several skills and vocational cities to address skill deficits in the state, his government, in collaboration with Kuwait, was working to reduce out-of-school children in Kaduna State by 200,000.
He added that the four-year programme, which will start in May or June 2024, is a $62 million project that will build 102 new schools in the state and renovate 170 existing ones within a span of four year.
In his remarks, former Chief of Defence Staff, General Martin Luther Agwai (rtd), urged the government to address the security challenges bedevilling the state.
He also commended Mr Sani for cutting the cost of governance due to the huge debt of the state, while urging all residents to eschew political, religious, or ethnic differences and support the state government in overcoming the debt challenge.
While pledging the support of the traditional institution to the governor, the Emir Zazzau, Nuhu Bamali, expressed optimism that despite the challenges, the governor would turn around the economy of the state for effective development.
Credit Gist New Today News in Newspaper Nigeria Headlines