Society Gists

We consider the political bullying of the personality of Mallam Nasir El Rufai by certain elements in the political space and the media as unjust and a form of discrimination and marginalization which should be alien to the modern civilization.

Mallam as we know him is a compatriot and nationalist of the elite caliber from the Northern Nigeria. To treat him as a disposable dish is uncanny.

You may not like the personality of the man because he is frankly blunt. He tells it as it is and does not take pleasure in deceiving others. He speaks his mind in the open as in secret.

This is considered a strange behaviour in the Nigerian political space where deception and sycophants hold sway. You must be a maradona to play the political game in Nigeria.

Unfortunately Mallam is not a maradona. So the political space in Nigeria sees him as unfit.

Let us remind ourselves of some of the qualities that make the man a different species. When he became governor in Kaduna, he was determined to improve on the quality of education and also improve revenue base for the state.

To do that, he needed to get rid of incompetence and engage the best minds and hands. He conducted examinations for the teachers in the schools and found out that most of them were incompetent. His actions were seen as wickedness by those who do not care about the quality of education that our supposed future leaders are getting.

He pressed on with his convictions and sacked the incompetent teachers and engaged well tested teachers from different parts of the country.

Ethnicity was not a criteria for the recruitment. Yorubas, Igbos, Hausas and other ethnic groups were well represented in the Kaduna State teaching workforce.

That nationalist attribute made enemies for him not only in Kaduna State but all over the nation. ‘Boko – haram presumed objective is that, western education is a crime’. How can a promoter of western education be equated to BH?

He brought in tax experts and young minds with elite business acumen to help improve the revenue base of the state. He digitized revenue collection and cut out bottlenecks. He got more enemies for taking forward steps. Some alleged that he brought non indigenes to milk the state. By the end of his first tenure the development in Kaduna State silenced all his detractors.

On the national level, a fearless Mallam spoke out against the unjust policies of government for which EFCC was sent after him. He stood his ground and went to present himself to the EFCC. Nothing could be pushed as charges. He was released immediately. You can’t deny the truth. Mallam is fearlessly committed to justice.

The sacrifices of Mallam and his commitment to justice helped brought in the administration of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.

At party level, there was a plot to deny Asiwaju of the party’s ticket to stand as the presidential candidate of the APC in favour of another Northern candidate who was favoured by the then sitting president.

Mallam again, stood for justice and openly declared that it is the turn of the south to present a president. He unwittingly gave his support to Asiwaju and worked assiduously during the campaign to actualize the dream.

We are aware that the president presented Mallam as one of the ministerial nominees. His enemies saw it as an opportunity to prevent the man from adding the voice of justice to the administration of Bola Tinubu. They brought up accusations which are unfounded.

But because they have supporters in the national assembly, their voices were sheepishly obeyed. They may have succeeded then, now we are determined to speak up for men who are being unduly sacrificed to perpetuate the selfishness of a few greedy elements.

Mallam is the leader who gave unprecedented opportunities to young men and women in his cabinet as governor of Kaduna State. A grateful person is rich in contentment.

We believe in his leadership ideologies and stand with him at a time like this when his political detractors have started the game of seeking to defame his enviable reputation. 

It is in the history that Mallam was a vanguard against the cashless policy of the past administration where masses have to buy money at an exorbitant rate. 

Learn to appreciate what you have, before time makes you appreciate what you had.

Rotimi Fasan recall ‘All thanks to the diligent monitoring and enforcement of the restriction by the governor of Kaduna State, Nasir El Rufai, himself. The governor was one of the first people to be infected with the virus and he struggled for his life for almost two months’.

Nasir El Rufai has for long recognized the importance of being earnest. It does not matter whether he is right or wrong, he is a man of his own conviction and he takes life seriously, perhaps too seriously some would say.

This is a press release by Youth Liberation Movement, Ibadan, Oyo, Nigeria.

Signed:
Comrade T.O. Adefenwa (Secretary)
Hon. Paul Bankole (P.R.O.)