The Kaduna State Government has strongly denied recent remarks made by former Governor Nasir El-Rufai, who claimed that all the projects commissioned by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu during his recent visit to the state were the brainchild of his own administration.
El-Rufai had made the assertion during an interview on Arise Television, stating that every project unveiled by President Tinubu in Kaduna was initiated under his watch.
However, the current administration, under Governor Uba Sani, has dismissed El-Rufai’s statement as “a bare-faced lie” and accused the former governor of attempting to twist historical facts.
In a press statement released yesterday by Ibraheem Musa, Chief Press Secretary to Governor Sani, the state government provided what it called the “true narrative” surrounding the projects launched by the President, asserting that most were either launched or completed under Governor Sani’s leadership.
The government clarified that during President Tinubu’s visit, three key projects were inaugurated: the Institutes of Vocational Training and Skills Development; the Bola Ahmed Tinubu 300-bed Specialist Hospital; and the rollout of 100 Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) buses.
According to the statement, the vocational training institutes, namely the Abdulkadir Balarabe Musa Institute in Rigachikun, Col. Dangiwa Umar Institute in Soba, and the Sir Patrick Ibrahim Yakowa Institute in Samaru Kataf, were all initiated and fully executed by the Sani administration.
“These institutes are part of Governor Sani’s strategy for human capital development,” the statement read.
“They are equipped with cutting-edge facilities and are projected to train up to 36,000 young people each year.”
The statement also cited Prof. Idris Bugaje, Executive Secretary of the National Board for Technical Education (NBTE), who described the institutes as “the most well-equipped skills development centres in Nigeria.”
On the introduction of the 100 CNG buses, the government noted that the initiative was launched by Governor Sani in response to the hardship caused by the removal of fuel subsidies.
“The buses are environmentally friendly and offer free transportation for workers, students, and pensioners for the first six months, followed by subsidized fares for others,” the statement added.
As for the Bola Ahmed Tinubu Specialist Hospital, the government acknowledged that the project was initially conceived during the tenure of former Governor Namadi Sambo.
However, it stressed that successive administrations had failed to complete it.
“When Governor Sani assumed office, the hospital was just 53 percent completed and had no medical equipment whatsoever,” the statement revealed.
“It stood as a monument to poor planning and neglect.”
Governor Sani’s administration reportedly fast-tracked the completion of the hospital and outfitted it with modern medical technology, making it a highlight of his healthcare reform efforts.
“This hospital stands today as a major success of Governor Sani’s leadership,” Musa added.
The press release, titled “El-Rufai and His Litany of Lies,” condemned the former governor’s interview as a deliberate attempt to mislead the public.
“The Kaduna State Government is compelled to respond to the blatant falsehoods peddled by Malam Nasir El-Rufai regarding President Tinubu’s recently commissioned projects in Kaduna,” the statement read.
“Malam El-Rufai’s claims are not only misleading but represent a calculated distortion of verified facts. Governor Uba Sani has delivered where others failed. The truth cannot be erased by revisionism.”
The statement concluded by reaffirming the current administration’s commitment to transparency and people-oriented governance, noting that “while opinions may vary, facts are sacred.”