The former Director General of the Progressive Governors forum (PGF), Malam Salihu Lukman has called for the immediate probe on how a whooping $587 million debt incured by the administration of the former Governor of Kaduna state, Malam Ahmad Nasir el-Rufai.

Lukman who is the immediate past national vice chairman North West of the ruling All progressives Congress (APC) remarked that the probe should extend to the utilisation of the sun of N85 billion, and 115 contractual liabilities from the 8 years lifespan of the administration of El-Rufai.

Lukman was reacting to claim by Governor Uba Sani that due to the huge debt of $587 million, N85 billion, and contractual liabilities, he is finding it difficult to honour the state monthly salary obligation of N5.2 billion to workers after deductions of N7 billion from the N10 billion due the State from Federal Allocation.

Lukman in a piece titled: “Kaduna state political theatrics” called for the review of some of the loans taken to boost agriculture production in the state running into hundreds of million of dollars.

The Kaduna born politician remarked that there is the need to come up with new initiatives towards mobilising new resources for the state which entails the setup of a committee to review current challenges and recommend what needs to be done both in the short, medium, and long term.

“This is more about producing a blueprint that will guide initiatives of government across all sectors to address the challenge. For instance, being a largely agrarian state that is riddled with insecurity, boosting agricultural production is contingent on securing the farms,” he noted.

“Already, one of the steps taken by the young administration of Mallam Uba is to recruit additional 7,000 personnel into the Kaduna State Vigilance Service (KADVIS). This certainly would have increased the salary bill of the State Government. Shouldn’t it be possible to explore partnership between the State Government and Farmers and deplore the services of KADVIS personnel towards protecting farmlands in the state?

“The details of the partnership between the state government and farmers could be negotiated, which should include what needs to be done to mobilise funding for the scheme. Integral to initiatives to protect farmlands are issues of extension services provided by Kaduna State Ministry of Agriculture to farmers.”

Continuing, he stated: “The point is, we need to move away from noise making to substantive issues of strengthening governance. Without prejudice to all the initiatives being taken by the government of Mallam Uba, the debate about the huge debt profile of Kaduna state must be about strengthening the capacity of government to resolve the challenge.

“It is not simply about Mallam Nasir Vs Mallam Uba. Already, I have seen young people jumping into the debate in a very disrespectful manner. We must cautioned that as much as everyone is welcomed to make contribution, such contribution must be about what needs to be done to resolve the challenge, which is a function of knowledge.

“Afterall, we pride ourselves in Kaduna State as a Centre of Learning. Being a Centre of Learning requires that our politics should be about application of knowledge.

“My final appeal to Mallam Uba and all our leaders both in Kaduna State and at National level is that we must summon the courage to admit our failure as a political party. Whatever could have been the shortcomings of Mallam Nasir as a Governor of Kaduna State between 2015 and 2023 would have been strengthened by the absence of a strong functional party structure, which could have checked or at the least moderated the excesses of Mallam Nasir.

” Those realities are still there today and if allowed to continue could lead Mallam Uba also in a wrong direction, whose implication may only become another subject of contestation between him and his successor.

“The truth is democracy is as bad as any dictatorship so long as political parties continue to behave as shadow participants or observers to the business of governance. Like Mallam Nasir once thought he was incontrovertible, if care is not taken, all the current issues about Kaduna State huge debt profile may end up only making Mallam Uba to also assume similar incontrovertible outlook.

“Praise singers must not be allowed to take over a critical debate which is about the future of the state. Such a debate must not be reduced to the political theatrics of determining the future of the state in terms of only who is right or wrong between a predecessor and successor. Such an approach only stagnated the state in the past. In fact, it only holds actors at standstill. Just check where Alh. Makarfi and Arc. Sambo today are politically!”