A former Secretary of the Association of Local Governments of Nigeria (ALGON) in Kaduna State, Kabiru Jarimi, has disputed former Governor Nasir El-Rufai’s claim that he never interfered with local government funds during his tenure.

Jarimi’s statement comes in response to El-Rufai’s recent accusation that his successor, Governor Uba Sani, is diverting local government funds to purchase properties abroad, including in Seychelles, South Africa, and the United Kingdom.

In an interview with Freedom Radio Kaduna, El-Rufai, who recently defected from the All Progressives Congress (APC) to the Social Democratic Party (SDP), alleged that local governments in Kaduna State receive no more than N50 million monthly due to financial mismanagement.

“Once the allocation arrives, they siphon it, exchange it into dollars, and use it to buy properties in Seychelles, South Africa, London, and other places,” El-Rufai claimed.

‘Local Governments Were Starved of Funds Under El-Rufai’ – Jarimi

Contrary to El-Rufai’s assertions, Jarimi described his comments as misleading, insisting that local governments in Kaduna were deprived of their full allocations under El-Rufai’s administration.

“I was shocked by El-Rufai’s comment because local government funds were deducted without our approval. Most of these deductions targeted Southern Kaduna LGAs,” Jarimi said.

He further explained that various deductions were made under different guises, leaving local councils without sufficient funds for essential services.

“We never received our full allocations under El-Rufai. His government kept introducing policies that unnecessarily deducted funds. I even considered resigning at times, as we often didn’t have enough for overhead costs after paying salaries,” he added.

Questioning the Use of Deducted Funds

Jarimi alleged that El-Rufai’s administration justified the deductions as necessary to cover workers’ salaries, but he claimed that additional methods were used to withdraw funds.

He highlighted the creation of agencies such as the:

• Kaduna Capital Territory Authority
• Zaria Metropolitan Authority
• Kafanchan Municipal Authority

According to Jarimi, these agencies were used to redirect local government funds under joint expenditure policies.

“Salaries were shared 60-40 between the capital territories and the local governments. For example, in Kaduna South, deductions were made in the name of sanitation, forcing us to remit funds to the Kaduna Capital Territory Authority every month,” he explained.

He also raised concerns about the security fund and riot damage fund, alleging that no local government benefited from these contributions.

“We contributed to a security fund, yet no former LGA chairman can account for how it was used. I challenge the former Governor to explain where the money went,” he said.

Praise for Governor Uba Sani’s Reforms

Jarimi commended the current governor, Uba Sani, for reversing many of El-Rufai’s policies and restoring financial autonomy to local governments.

He praised the Sani-led administration for:

• Abolishing the Kaduna Capital Territory Authority, Zaria Metropolitan Authority, and Kafanchan Municipal Authority.
• Ending deductions for security and riot damage funds.
• Allocating a percentage of the state’s Internally Generated Revenue (IGR) to local governments to enhance financial transparency.

“The current administration is giving local governments a fair share of resources and addressing the financial injustices we experienced,” he concluded.

The dispute between El-Rufai and Uba Sani’s camps reflects a deepening political rift within Kaduna State as both sides continue to trade accusations over financial management and governance.