Governor Uba Sani of Kaduna State has revealed that he has consistently rejected loan offers from both local and international financial institutions since assuming office two years ago, in a bid to prevent the state from falling deeper into debt.
Speaking in Hausa during a media chat with Kaduna-based broadcast journalists on Wednesday night, Governor Sani said that avoiding debt has been a key part of his administration’s financial strategy as he marks his second year in office.
According to him, several banks had approached his government with various loan proposals, but he declined all of them to safeguard the state’s financial future.
“The Secretary to the State Government is a retired federal Permanent Secretary, who is also a former consultant with Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO). Some of my Commissioners were receiving big salaries in their former places of work.
“I persuaded them to forfeit their performance bonuses and to use the old cars that their predecessors used in the last administration. This is how we have been running the administration without collecting a single loan,” he added.
To manage state resources prudently, Governor Sani said he implemented cost-cutting measures, including reducing allowances and perks for top government officials such as the Secretary to the State Government and Commissioners.
The Governor further explained that rather than rely on borrowing, he has leveraged his personal and professional networks built over years of activism and service as a Senator to attract grants from donor agencies.
He cited Qatar Charity as a major partner, currently constructing the Kaduna Economic City and developing a Mass Housing Project at Millennium City, with the housing units nearing completion.
Governor Sani also expressed gratitude to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for providing financial support to Kaduna State and other states across the country in tackling economic challenges
