2019 election: Shehu Sani an ‘opportunist’ – El-Rufai

Governor Nasir Ahmad El-Rufai of Kaduna State has described Senator
Shehu Sani representing Kaduna Central as an opportunist who is
working against the best interest of the people.

The Kaduna state governor made this assertion in an interview on
Channels Television's Roadmap 2019.

He accused Sani of using his position to frustrate the development of
the state thus, "putting politics above common sense".

El-Rufai making reference to Kaduna senators' efforts to frustrate
$350million loan meant for infrastructure in the state said the people
were quite "disappointed by the attitude of the Senators representing"
the state.

He said, "We were quite disappointed by the attitude of the Senators
representing our state, anyone who represents a people and does not
want the benefits of those people is clearly an enemy of the people.

" Shehu Sani uses words without knowing their meaning, there is no way
a state government can borrow without clearance from the debt
management office of the Federal Republic of Nigeria

"There is no way the World bank will lend you or any other person
money without doing their number.

"When there's a new National Assembly it (the loan request) will be
represented. I am confident that those in the National Assembly then
will have more sense than the people we now have there, who have
specialised in the pursuit of self-interest above public interest."

Recall that three Senators representing Kaduna State at the National
Assembly (NASS) rejected the $350 million world bank loan for Kaduna
state.

Sani had said that the senators from the state supported the rejection
of the request owing to the high debt profile of the state.

Though agreeing that Kaduna has the second largest amount of foreign
debt after Lagos, the governor, however, stressed that, "What is
important is not the level of debt but debt sustainability".

"Is Shehu Sani as knowledgeable or does he know enough economics or
financial management to contest the judgment of these institutions?"

"All Sani has said is just to justify taking actions against the
interest of 10 million people," El-rufai added.