It is said that there is honour even among thieves, but in a system where moral and sense of decency has collapsed, absurdity is the order of the day. This aptly captured the tantrums of Bello, the first son of the embattled former Governor of Kaduna, Mallam Nasir El-rufai who has been indicted by panel of the State House of Assembly, and summoned to explain how over N423bn vanished from state coffers.
Rather than covering his face in shame that his father who loomed larger than life as the governor, with the facade of a saint could be frontally accused of such monumental fraud, and dragged the name of the family in mud and attracted public opprobrium. But rather than being humbled by the sleaze expose, younger El-rufai was busy hurling invectives on those who asked his sanctimonious father to come clean on the monumental fraud allegations.
In his famous column, Omatseye wrote: “It is interesting that former Kaduna State governor, Nasir El-rufai, has decided to go to court and he is seeking N1billion for damages. It is good that he has responded to In Touch call for him to break his silence. But rather than account for his alleged infractions, he is giving it to the lawyers. That is not characteristically Nasir, who does not give the glory of his story to others.
“We are still waiting for him to talk, with typical Nasir bluster. Silence is out of character, especially when his character is at stake. Again, what of all the others accused who have fled the country? Is he a general without a foot soldier, not even his friend Jimmy Lawal? Why are they fleeing their master? The matter is still on the boil. The EFCC is on the matter. Is the court case a calculation to thwart an official inquiry and possible prosecution? Is it a court case to stop a court case?” The above public interest, fair comment of Mr Omatseye on the matter drew the ire of El-rufai’s son, and he threw caution out of the window because his father was asked to account for his misdeeds.
It is therefore an assault on the collective sensibilities of all well-meaning Nigerians for Bello Muhammed El-rufai, who is a serving member of the Federal House of Representatives to attack writers and commentators who make commentaries on his father’s alleged mismanagement of Kaduna State funds. Uncouth, Bello insulted a celebrated columnist and journalist, Sam Omatseye for drawing the attention of the reading public, through his column, In Touch to the reign of Mallam El-rufai.
Bello El-rufai, 36, who was weaned and nurtured on the public patrimony, could shamelessly defend his father since he never tasted the poverty and deprivations of the people of Kaduna state.
El-rufai’s son is detached from the excruciating realities of poor people, having lived all his life in stupendous opulence and ensconced in the palatial mansion of his father who had lived in the corridor of power for more than two decades, since the days of former President Olusegun Obasanjo. Bello El-rufai would later leveraged his father’s connections for a brief stint in the corporate, before transiting to the green chamber as the inglorious reign of his father came to a halt in 2023, leaving disastrous legacies of divisiveness, schism, and unsustainable debt burden for the incumbent governor.
To start with, Mr. Sam Omatseye is a legend in the journalism profession, a man who paid his dues to national and global reckoning. He is a distinguished Nigerian, who has made the country proud remarkably. The intellectual vibes of Mr Omatseye resonates across cultures and many Nigerians, including this writer, have over time saluted his courage as a social crusader and the elegance of his writings. Truth be told, save for the filthy lucre of government, Sam Omatseye towers above the small body, big mouth man of Kaduna. Bello’s disrespectful tweet filled with hate and bile against an accomplished and respected Sam Omatseye is an indication that El-rufai not only failed as public servant, accidentally, he also failed at home by not inculcating good moral in his children, particularly the scion of his quaking dynasty.
It is utterly in bad taste, and totally reprehensible for Bello El-rufai to tag an award-winning newspaper, The Nation, which parades the best and finest writers in Nigeria newspapering industry, as a “Toilet Paper”. It is an attack not only on the Nation Newspaper but on the press. The same newspaper that had supported his father when he was disgraced out of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP government, because of his treachery? When he was provided a haven in the All Progressives Congress, APC, The Nation, and the Nigerian press stood by him.
Sadly, El-rufai manifested his true divisive and treacherous traits in APC. He has never been totally loyal to any worthy cause. El-rufai camouflaged as a progressive but was actively in bed with retrogressive elements. All that played out prominently recently when he joined the serial presidential poll loser on a failed voyage to Kastina.
Bello El-rufai, in his infantile, puerile tweet on X also falsely stated that Mr Omatseye is 70 year-old. Well, he might have thought he was deriding the celebrated author and columnist, but he had inadvertently prayed for longevity for him to clock the 70th milestone and beyond. The 36-year-old spoilt brat should pray to see seasons of life that Mr. Omatseye has weathered in the last 63 years.
In summary, Mr El-rufai, and his minders, including his son, should respond to the weighty corruption allegations hanging over the head of the former governor, rather than labelling courageous and conscientious writers and journalists who are bold enough to call out Mr. El-rufai to come clean. Let it be known that no amount of intimidation, cyber-bullying and stalking can silence the voice of Nigerians over the monumental sleaze in Kaduna under the watch of Mallam Nasir El-rufai.
· Adenekan writes from Abuja, the Federal Capital Territory
