FOLLOWING delays in the approval of a loan of $350 million requested by the Kaduna State government, a coalition of civil society organisations in the state has handed out a seven-day ultimatum to Shehu Sani, a senator Representing Kaduna Central, to ensure the request scales through, or face consequences.

The coalition gave the warning during a press briefing in Kaduna on Monday, October 16. The text of the coalition statement was jointly signed by Zubairu Mukhtar, its chairman     and Richard Augustine, its secretary, and read by the chairman, said in part: “We are saying that Senator and his pay masters should as a matter of urgency hands off and reverse their position to stamp the Government of Kaduna State from accessing the loan. Kaduna State does not belong to any individual. We the people of Kaduna State stand in solidarity to the leadership of the State to acquire the loan of $350 million for our State development.

“After seven working days, we the people would mobilise ourselves in our thousands and match to the national assembly in solidarity to the leadership of Kaduna for the said loan to be granted in the collective interest of the people of the State. We so hope that Sen Shehu Sani would do the needful and address his committee members on the need to approve with immediate effect, the loan requested by the good people of Kaduna State.

“Ladies and gentlemen, we have resolved to expose Sen Shehu Sani act of injustices and evil plans to the Government of Kaduna State and the entire people of the state.

“We resolve to give Senator Shehu Sani seven working days to do the needful by respecting himself and hands off from trying to delay or deny Kaduna State access to the loan in his capacity as chairman Senate committee on foreign loans.”

The coalition argued that differences between Sani and Governor Nasir El-Rufia of Kaduna State, should have nothing to do with the welfare of more than 12 million people of Kaduna State, as such any attempt to block the loan by Sani as the chairman of the Senate committee on foreign loans, would not be tolerated and would be seen as a clear betrayal of the people of the state.

Besides, the group accused Sani of losing focus, and should not be taken serious by any well meaning citizen of the state.

He said: “As a civil society group conscious of our responsibility to identify with positive developments, we are  deeply saddened by the disposition of the Senator and his pay masters towards  the $350 million Kaduna State loan which  was part of varying amounts that all other States of the Federation,  have applied for and awaiting the endorsement of the National Assembly.

“We find the Senator’s pedestrian political style retrogressive to the people of Kaduna State.

We make bold to say that our people did not sign for infantile game of politics that Senator Sani has been notorious for. Playing the Ostrich with Kaduna  State’s matter in this  case is clearly  a deliberate  attempt to undermine the wishes of the over two million people of this State,  who deserve  nothing short of a serious-minded lawmaker,  conscious  of the responsibility on his shoulders  as the eye and ear of Kaduna Central in  the  Upper Chamber.

“We cannot, at this stage allow for theatrics over such crucial matter. If the Senator and his pay masters think they can ride roughshod over the interest of Kaduna people on the matter of the $350million loan, they should have their heads examined immediately. Enough is enough of this playing to the gallery. After serially attacking President Buhari and the party in the media for nearly two years, we also note with dissatisfaction how he has serially attacked political appointees from the State he claims to represent as a means of getting media attention.  This is childish, undemocratic and it ridicules standard practice in modern political Kaduna State,” the group emphasized.

The coalition said that they are not just on their own, but represent a consortium of over 100 civil society organisations in the state to press forth their demands.

“We have made deep research and follow up on all the funds that were been received since the Mal Nasir El-Rufia administration came to power, even the very recent bailout funds that was giving to the State, how it was judiciously used to clear all outstanding workers salaries, arrears and pension to date, Apart from on-going project across the three senatorial zones. We therefore did not see any reason why a Sen. Shehu Sani would because of selfish, personal ambition try to sabotage the effort the State Government to access a loan of $350 Million Dollars.

“We put it very clear to the Senator and his pay masters that the loan in question is not for the personal use of Mal Nasir El-Rufia but the development of infrastructure and social deficit in the State. The public knows that Sen. Shehu Sani is so afraid that his dream of becoming the Governor of Kaduna State would be completely buried that is why he thinks he can use Federal might to deny the State access to these funds.

“Shehu Sani is very aware that Kaduna State would wear a new look if these funds come, and he would have nothing to campaign for. It will be counterproductive if we seat, watch and allow the Senator and his pay masters wrongly and deliberately misled the Senate committee on foreign loan,” the group said.

They said that this sort of conspiracy against the state’s positive economic trajectory is mischievous callous and retrogressive to democracy and future development.

“Our demands and prayers are very clear:

1. That Senator Shehu Sani has sold out by working against the hopes and expectations of the good people of Kaduna State, the citizens he is supposedly representing. This is backstabbing. We cannot also fathom why he is opposed to any popular government policy, especially that of socio-economic development.

“2. We find it so strange that Senator Shehu Sani is willing to support all other States of the federation, to enable them access the loan and shamelessly denying Kaduna State similar opportunity. This is outright sabotage and highly condemnable. There is no justification whatsoever for Senator Shehu Sani’s personal hatred against his constituency on the matter of $350million foreign loan.

“3. It is embarrassing that of all States of the federation, it is Senator Sani’s Kaduna that is being exposed to such theatrics, just because he has hidden ulterior motive of not wanting to see progress in Kaduna State. If he is using this to score cheap political gain, as he has always done, we dare say this is bad timing

“We are saying that Senator and his pay masters should as a matter of urgency hands off and reverse their position to stamp the Government of Kaduna State from accessing the loan. Kaduna State does not belong to any individual. We the people of Kaduna State stand in solidarity to the leadership of the State to acquire the loan of $350 million for our State development.

Ladies and gentlemen, we have resolved to expose Sen Shehu Sani act of injustices and evil plans to the Government of Kaduna State and the entire people of the state.

“We resolve to give Sen. Shehu Sani seven working days to do the needful by respecting himself and hands off from trying to delay or deny Kaduna State access to the loan in his capacity as chairman Senate committee on foreign loans.

Any differences Shehu Sani has with Mal. Nasir el-Rufai has nothing to do with the over twelve million people of Kaduna state. So any attempt to block the loan by Sen Shehu Sani as the Chairman of Senate committee on foreign loans is a clear betrayal to the over twelve million people of the State,” they submitted.

– Oct 16, 2017 @ 15:42 GMT