A group, Kaduna State Concerned Citizens has declared the three senators persona non grata and enemies of the state over alleged roles played in denying the state government 350m dollars World Ban loan, thereby calling for the withdrawal of the lawmakers.
Addressing a press conference at the Kaduna Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) Secretariat on Tuesday, the Coordinator of the group, Abdulazeez Musa, (Shettiman Barnawa) said that the Senators acted in self interest instead of for the collective good of citizens of the state.
“We the concerned citizens of Kaduna have come to the conclusion that these Senators are enemies of the progress of our dear state and its citizens and as such they are personal non-grata.
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We therefore call on the Good people of Kaduna State to support us a’s we shall commerce the process of recalling the Senators for this heinous crime against our State,” they said.
In the statement titled: ‘Kaduna State Senators Enemies of the state’ the group said that the lian was required to address key challenges the state is facing.
“The huge infractructural deficit in the Education, Health and Road sectors necessited the Executive Governor of Kaduna State te declore a State of Emergency in the Education sector as we have over 4,200 primary schools that require total renovation, provision of potable water and furniture out of which over 400 schools have so far been renovated. We also have 130 of the 250 primary health centres fully renovated. Construction of roads in the 23 Local Government Areas of the state is also visible everywhere you go.
“The Government needs a minimum of N60bn just to fix primary schools. A lot more would be needed to actually build· new schools that can have enough classrooms, staff rooms/quarters and other facilities.
“There is no doubt that we would need support to raise the required resources to fund these loudable projects. This is how the State Government approached the World Bank with facts and figures including pictures and after strict scrutiny of the state laws, accounts and performance, the World Bank was convinced that Kaduna State merits their support. Therefore, on 20th June 2017, the World Bank announced that it has decided to provide a budget support facility of $350m to Kaduna State,” the concerned citizens said.
The group alleged that they were worried that the Senate collaborated with the three senators from Kaduna State to deprive the over l0m citizens of the state their legitimate right to decent investment in human capital development through the provision of good schools, hospitals and roods for a better quality of life and accelerated economic growth through the provision of infrastructure.
“The excuse given by the Senate as to the size of the loan and the viability of the state to repay the loan is baseless, unfounded end self serving as the creditor and ratings agency clearly states that Kaduna State can manage the loan facility which has a 10years moratorium and a 40 years repayment period,” they said.
The Kaduna Concerned Citizens noted that so many other states that applied alongside Kaduna State for this loan facility have been granted approval by the Senate but their three Senators decided ta place personal interest and ego above the demands of public interest and policy thereby subjecting the law abiding citizens to untold hardship and frustrations as the laudable projects started are yet to be completed.
“Despite the frosty relationship between Kano State Governor and Senator. Rabiu Kwankwaso, the Senator did not stand in the way of Kano State in getting the approval of Senate to access that loan from the World Bank. This clearly shows maturity and drawing a line between personal interest and the overriding public interest.
“Unfortunately, the exact opposite is what our unpatriotic Senators did by placing personal interst over and above overriding public interest.
“It is in the light of the above that we, the concerned citizens of Kaduna condemn the action of our lethargically inept and self serving senators who are against Governor EI-Rufai for some ethic, political and Emotional jingosims and they hate him for denying them unfettered access to the State Treasury to loot our common wealth or give plump positions to their cronies making them disdain him with a passion,” they emphasized..
