Kaduna State House of Assembly Speaker Yusuf Liman has accused Bello El-Rufai, the son of former Governor Nasir El-Rufai, of sending threat messages to him over a probe panel the Assembly raised to investigate his father’s administration.
The House of Assembly, on Tuesday, set up an ad hoc committee to investigate financial dealings, loans, grants, and projects implemented between 2015 and 2023 in Kaduna State under Nasir El-Rufai’s administration.
The Speaker warned Bello to stop his threat and intimidation of the Assembly over the investigation.
Liman said Bello sent insulting and subtle threat messages to him through WhatsApp messaging.
In a statement yesterday in Kaduna by his media aide Malam Suraj Bamalli, the Speaker accused Bello of using two tweets which insinuated a call to “fight” and showed disrespect for members of Kaduna State House of Assembly.
Bello El-Rufai is the House of Representatives member representing Kaduna North Federal Constituency.
The statement said: “Threats and intimidation from anyone, including Federal lawmakers, will not deter the Kaduna State House of Assembly from its pursuit of justice and accountability. The Assembly remains resolute in its mandate to provide checks and balances and uphold the rule of law in Kaduna State.
“We urge the good people of Kaduna State to remain vigilant and steadfast in their support for transparency, accountability and the rule of law. The Kaduna State House of Assembly will continue to serve the best interests of the state and its citizens.
“In light of recent events, the Kaduna State House of Assembly wishes to address the erratic and unruly actions of Bello El-Rufai, the member representing Kaduna North Federal Constituency.
“Shortly after the establishment of a committee to investigate financial dealings, loans, grants, and projects implementation from 2015-2023 in Kaduna State, Bello El-Rufai took to social media with two tweets, now deleted, insinuating a call to ‘fight’ and disrespecting the entire Legislative Arm of Government.
“Additionally, he sent insulting and subtle threat messages to the Speaker of Kaduna State House of Assembly, Yusuf Liman, via WhatsApp.
When our correspondent contacted Bello last night for comments, he said: “Small me? Have a nice day. I have work to do. Regards to ‘Pa’ Sam.”
“The screenshots of these tweets and messages have been widely circulated, causing concern among the citizens of Kaduna State. It is disheartening that a Federal lawmaker, entrusted with representing the people, would resort to such a behaviour, attempting to obstruct the lawful functions of the State Assembly.”
A 13-man adhoc committee was raised yesterday by the Kaduna State House of Assembly to investigate financial transactions in the state under former Governor Malam Nasir El-Rufai.
The committee got a mandate of the House to beam its searchlight on the loans, grants and the projects executed when El-Rufai held the fort between 2015 and May 29, last year.
The constitution of the adhoc committee followed a motion moved on the floor of the Assembly by the member representing Kaura Constituency, Yusuf Mugu.
Mugu said: “It is a matter of public importance that the loans borrowed by the former governor be investigated”.
He argued that it was important for residents to know what the loans were used for.
The lawmaker said: “There have been uncomplimentary comments and assassinations of character on the leadership of the state, which the Assembly cannot sit and watch. That is why I came up with this motion that the Speaker constitutes a committee to investigate the allegations and negative comments on them.
“This is the only way the state can rekindle its confidence in its development partners, collaborators, and also those who give us loans and grants; failure to do this will push the indicators of the state to a situation whereby nobody will want to do business with us.”
The former Speaker of the Assembly, Yusuf Zailani, who also spoke on the issue, noted that he suffered during the El-Rufai administration, adding that he denied approval of some of the loans, but the governor still found his way.
Zailani, who is also a member representing Igabi West Constituency, said: “I suffered a lot in order not to give approval for the loan to be collected; even the then deputy Speaker Isaac Auta Zankhai was against me because I disagreed with the loan to be collected. I told the then-governor to look at the number of loans we had on hand, and he didn’t listen to me.”
Samuel Kambai, a member representing Zangon Kataf, and Henry Zachariah Marah, a member representing the Jaba Constituency, explained that the duty of the legislators is to give approval before the governor goes ahead to collect loans, but in Kaduna, the case was different.
The duo therefore urged the committee to summon the Eighth and Ninth Assembly Speakers, along with some members of the same assembly, to come and give explanations on how the loans were collected and spent.
House Speaker Yusuf Dahiru Liman urged the ad hoc committee to invite his predecessors and all other relevant stakeholders and agencies for investigation.
Liman assured the House that the matter will be properly looked into, adding that everyone would be given the liberty to speak the truth.
The House unanimously requested to have access to the handover notes given to Governor Uba Sani by the previous administration to guide its committee on the financial status of the state.
The 13-man committee has Aminu Anti (representing Doka Gabasawa) as its chairman and Mugu as deputy. Munira Tanimu; Shehu Yunusa and nine others are members.
The panel, among others, was mandated to investigate El-Rufai’s top associate and his Senior Counselor on I nvestment, Jimi Lawal.
The panel, according to the House, would probe financial dealings, loans and grants and other project implementation from 2015 to 2023.
The Assembly also mandated the committee to invite notable personalities, including the former speakers of the Eighth and Ninth Assembly, commissioners of finance, former managing directors of Kaduna markets, and commissioners of budget and planning, among others.
During a town hall meeting with stakeholders recently, Sani blamed his inability to pay salaries and implement projects on the the huge debts bequeathed to his administration by his predecessor.
Sani’s revelation had generated cracks within the Kaduna State Chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC).
The Kaduna House of Assembly has set up a 13-man ad hoc committee to investigate financial transactions, loans, grants and projects execution under the immediate-past Governor Malam Nasir El-Rufai.
The constitution of the committee followed a motion on the floor of the Assembly by member representing Kaura Constituency, Hon. Yusuf Mugu.
Mugu said it was a matter of public importance the loans borrowed by the former Governor be investigated.
Speaker Yusuf Dahiru Liman, who presided over the plenary, urged the adhoc committee to invite all the relevant stakeholders for questioning and investigation of the matters.
The only option left to the President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to keep the pump price of petrol from soaring was to subsidize, former Kaduna State Governor Mallam Nasiru El-Rufai has said.
El-Rufai, who spoke in Maiduguri, Borno State capital, said the Federal Government now pays more subsidy than before.
He also advised the President not to hesitate in kicking out any of his appointees who failed to deliver on his mandate.
The former governor was quoted by an official of the Presidency in a tweet on his X handle.
On petrol, the former governor said: “Fuel subsidy is another policy that has been implemented by the president, it’s the right policy. I always supported withdrawing fuel subsidy.
“But, in the course of implementation as you can see the government has now realized that the subsidy has to be back because right now, we are paying a lot of money for subsidy even more than before.
“This is because the impact has been seen and the packages of support that would reduce the impact have not been so effective in reducing the impact, so the federal government is back now subsidizing petrol.”
According to him, it remained unknown to many Nigerians that they can afford petrol because of the government intervention, without which, the price could have been higher than that of diesel.
He said: “But, if they want to know whether we are subsidising or not, they should compare the price of petrol and diesel because petrol should be more expensive than diesel but diesel is priced above a thousand naira while petrol is at N600 per liter.
“So, we are still subsidising petrol because the government has realised that the way it implemented the fuel subsidy initially required some adjustments. That’s what I keep saying about policy and policy pragmatism.”
On the non-performing appointees, El-Rufai said there would not be any justification to retain whoever has not added value to the government.
He urged the president to consider the possibility of amending some of his policies that were not yielding the desired results.
El-Rufai said: “You appointed a person into a position and he is not working according to the expectation, you should have the humility to tell him that I need a better person, go and do something else.”
Called for prayers and support from the citizens for the administration in its quest to lift the country to loftier heights, he said: “What we must to do as citizens is to pray for our leaders for God to guide them to see or do what is right; for God to give them the humility to reverse themselves when necessary and do the right thing; that’s how society progresses”.
After the senate rejected his nomination as minister last year, former Kaduna State governor Nasir el-Rufai instantly became a goldfish in a pond. Whatever he said or did since then acquired new and sometimes far-fetched political meaning. There were speculations regarding his senate rejection, with most unconfirmed, but he probably knows why. If he has gone beyond that rejection and who or what was behind it, the next one year or so will tell. But meanwhile, his Ramadan breaking of fast with the National Security Adviser (NSA) Nuhu Ribadu, Kashim Ibrahim-Imam, an All Progressives Congress (APC) chieftain, and Shehu Musa Gabam, Social Democratic Party national chairman, among many at his Abuja home last Tuesday has given fresh impetus to political speculations concerning him and 2027. He can’t avoid the rumours, nor does he seem to care. More, he probably enjoys how the rumours conspire to sustain and even advance his political relevance.
The newspapers which published stories of his Ramadan interactions with the high and mighty would give anything to have an insight into what Mallam el-Rufai discussed with his guests. Surely it couldn’t be all about Ramadan, notwithstanding the spiritual lessons the Ramadan iftar practice confers on devotees. In the heyday of the military in government, coup plotting was believed by some observers to be catalysed by pepper soup kitchens. Analysts have probably extrapolated the breaking of fast practice to transcend religion, perhaps politics in particular, much more than business. When Mallam el-Rufai hosted Mallam Ribadu and others, he did not intend it as a cloak and dagger affair. Reacting to an attempt to forbid photographers from uploading the visits and interactions, he blurted out that he didn’t care what was done with the photographs.
Mallam el-Rufai hosting Mallam Ribadu was nothing strange, going by their long-standing friendship. Until he hosted the SDP chairman, Alhaji Gabam, few Nigerians, particularly in the agitated and apprehensive South, knew that the two politicians had been friends for a long time. Indeed, after the Tuesday hosting, Mallam el-Rufai proceeded to return Mallam Gabam’s visit, and was received by his host and members of the SDP national working committee, thus heightening speculations. However, it will probably take a little longer to know exactly what the politicians discussed, whether it related, as some speculate, to Mallam el-Rufai’s integration into the government at one level or the other, or whether it concerned 2027, as many rumour-mongers appear convinced.
But for Alhaji Gabam, the el-Rufai visit “…is a welcome development (indicating) that concerned Nigerians are cross-fertilizing ideas on how to salvage the nation’s present unpleasant socio-economic challenges of the times. The prevailing circumstances call for bipartisan and robust collaborations that transcend ethnic and religious lines to address the nation’s woes and find sustainable ways to redeem the situation.” This may be a loaded and probably incontrovertible proof that politics in one way or another was at the centre of their discussions. However, for Muyiwa Adekeye, the former governor’s media adviser, “People have personal histories and relationships that predate political affiliations. It cannot be a hallmark of civilization to have friends from within only your political party. When people visit each other or mingle across party lines, it is because human relationships exist, distinct from the political or the partisan.” Mr Adekeye is obviously more reticent than Alhaji Gabam.
What can, however, not be disproved is that since the rejection of his ministerial nomination, Mallam el-Rufai has become generally more assertive, a little more bellicose and acerbic, and as usual idiosyncratically restless. His wheeling and dealing, as those close to him know, is almost wholly without principles and consideration for the feelings of his mentors or mentees. Indeed, nothing, not ethnicity, nor religion, nor class, nor political divide discomfits him or constitutes a dissuasive factor in his unique brand of politics. He seemed a pillar of support for then aspirant and later presidential candidate Bola Tinubu, but his detractors insinuated that he was also running with the hare and hunting with the hounds as well as flirting with a lot of political permutations. They acknowledged it was within his rights to engage in political cavorting, but concluded cynically that his political capriciousness matched his legendary Machiavellianism. They also note that since his senate rejection, he has engaged with a few notable political rejects given the cold shoulder by the Tinubu administration. He was flighty before the general election, and after just one little setback and rejection, he has again demonstrated his characteristic impatience. They wonder whether, despite his enormous gifts as a politician and orator, he is really dependable.
Whether anyone likes it or not, and in spite of himself, Mallam el-Rufai will be talked about in earnest in the coming months. Though irreverent and highly opinionated, he is too brimful of ideas to be restrained by circumstances or animosities. Whether by rumours or incontestable facts, he will be the subject of many discussions and debates. He has a huge capacity for defending both sides of a good or bad coin, and is straight-faced and straitlaced about his defences. His admirers would, however, wish he was capable of bringing his limitless endowments to the cause of a greater or ideological principle. They would wish he could take temporary setbacks with the perfect equanimity he sometimes displayed as Kaduna State governor in his jousting with those who accused him of ethnic and religious prejudices.
Few Nigerians would disagree that bandits are laying siege to Kaduna State. Between January and March, more than 400 hundred people have been abducted for ransom in the state, particularly from Chikun, Igabi, Kauru, Kajuru, and Kachia local government areas, among others. The siege did not start yesterday; it has lasted for years without any adequate and tactically superior response. The crisis preoccupied the former governor, Nasir el-Rufai, who famously advocated for saturation bombing of the bandits. From all indications, the siege will also preoccupy the current governor, Uba Sani, who has been jolted wide awake by the sheer scale and audacity of the March 7, 2024 Kuriga LEA Primary School, Chikun LGA, abductions where more than 280 pupils were estimated to have been taken, leaving security agencies flatfooted and flabbergasted.
There has been no initiative to lift the siege; none whatsoever. The governor supports state policing, and would probably have used state police effectively to checkmate the devilry suffocating his state, had the country been restructured already. But for now the constitution disallows him from running a state police, and he must wait almost eternally for the rest of the country to come round to the idea of law enforcement devolution. As for the federal government, the country is perhaps too vast for its security network to cope with. It could not spread a dragnet for the ubiquitous bandits because of the scale of logistics needed to execute that measure, and has thus been condemned to only reactive measures to salvage whatever is left of its pride as federal authority. So far, the feds have disavowed lockdowns, yet troops in Delta State are believed to be rigorously executing that measure over the killing of 17 officers and soldiers on March 14. Governor Sani will be wondering whether anyone is really interested in destroying and defeating the bandits. Nigerians wonder too.
A member representing Kaduna North Federal Constituency in the House of Representatives, Bello El-Rufai, said he was disappointed when the Senate rejected his father, Nasir El-Rufai‘s appointment as minister.
Speaking with Seun Okinbaloye in a podcast, Bello said it took his pleas and those of other family members for his father to accept the ministerial nomination from President Bola Tinubu.
Bello, who doubles as the chairman of the House Committee on Banking Regulations, said he, the Governor of Kaduna state, Uba Sani, and one of his father’s commissioners, Hafiz Bayero, played a key role in convincing his father to work with this current government.
He said: “I was in the National Assembly when my father’s nomination was rejected. It was very disappointing and still is. Myself, the Governor of Kaduna State, Uba Sani, and one of my father’s commissioners, Mr Hafiz Bayero, played a key role in convincing my father to work with this current government.
“He (Nasir) didn’t want it. It’s hard for Nigerians to believe it because they feel it is everyone in Nigeria who wants to be a minister.
“To be fair to him, he didn’t want the job. We convinced him that, with the antecedents of Asiwaju, he would create an excellent team as he did in Lagos.
“The President wanted to work with him. It was clear when he came to Kaduna. We also had an idea of what his portfolio would be. It was meant to be power and gas. He insisted to the President in private that Nigeria would not sort its electricity issue if gas was not put under the other components of power.
“The irony is that nothing has been rougher than the lack of power in the last two weeks. I’m disappointed because Nigeria lost an effective administrator in my father, one who is willing to make difficult decisions to solve a problem.”
Bello, while dismissing claims that his father was anti-Christian, said many Nigerians do not know his father.
He said: “My father is a very simple person who’s been stereotyped a lot. I got a video of him where people say this or that about him without even knowing him.
“My father does not go out of his way to change what people think about him. He doesn’t really care.
“There’s a perception that he’s anti-Christian. But, the closest person to him since we (children) were four years old was a man from Cross River State, Peter Jones.
“Religion is personal to us. As minister of the Federal Capital Territory, he demolished mosques. The imam said he hated Islam. He demolished churches and the Christians said he hated Christians. Maybe, it is the wrong imams and pastors who have issues, not him.”
Following the withdrawal of the immediate past Governor of Kaduna State, Malam Nasir El-Rufai, from ministerial appointment, a group, Southern Kaduna Renewed Hope Movement of Nigeria (SKRHM), has called on President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to pick his replacement from their region.
The Movement, which addressed a press conference at the Correspondents’ Chapel Secretariat of the NUJ in Kaduna on Friday, said appointment of a Southern Kaduna indigene to replace El-Rufai, will address the alleged years of political marginalisation of the zone.
National Coordinator of the Movement, Yusuf Kanhu, who led other executives of the organisation to the press conference, said the Southern Kaduna region has experienced severe marginalisation, both in political and religious spheres over the last eight years.
Kanhu, who condemned the recent viral video of former Governor El-Rufai, where he justified the Muslim-Muslim ticket in Kaduna State and at the Federal Government level, warned that the Governor Uba Sani’s administration should not toe the line of El-Rufai’s administration, which allegedly marginalised Southern Kaduna.
According to the Movement’s leader, “Under the previous administration of Mallam Nasir El-rufai, a significant disparity emerged in political appointments and campaigns, leading to an imbalanced representation of the region.
“In response to this distressing situation, the Southern Kaduna Renewed Hope Movement urges Governor Uba Sani to ensure fairness for both Christian and Muslim communities in Southern Kaduna. More so, the SKRHM conveys its happiness and gratitude for the peace we are currently experiencing since your emergence as Governor of all Kaduna sons and daughters.
“We call for the equitable distribution of ministerial appointments to the South. If a Christian ministerial appointment is not viable, we propose the appointment of Dr. Abdulmalik Durunguwa-an esteemed son of Southern Kaduna, a proven administrator, the former Executive Secretary of the Kaduna State Emergency Agency (SEMA), and a dedicated member of the All Progressives Congress (APC).
“We want to reiterate that our goal is not to promote division or animosity. We stand for unity and progress, and we believe that the only way to achieve this is through equal representation, fair distribution of resources, and inclusive governance.”
Following the Senate’s suspension of his confirmation a few weeks ago, Nasir El-Rufai, the former governor of Kaduna state, employed the lyrics of renowned singer Bob Marley’s song to criticize the unjust nature of human behaviour towards one another.
He shared that the Jamaican music icon, whom he acclaimed as one of the most gifted musicians in history, ignited his passion for Reggae music.
Using lyrics from “Who the Cap Fit,” a song collaborated on by Bob Marley and the Wailers, El-Rufai said that trust was an expensive commodity to give without much scrutiny.
He also highlighted how people’s tendencies can swiftly shift from friends to foes and vice versa.
He tweeted: “Bob Marley of the blessed memory is one of the most talented musicians of all time. My love for reggae music is connected with his songs and music.”
“Who The Cap Fit – Bob Marley & The Wailers is one of my favourites from the 1970s. Enjoy your day with the song and lyrics that are timeless.”
Going on to share the song’s lyrics, he added: “Man to man is so unjust, children. Ya don’t know who to trust.
“Your worst enemy could be your best friend. And your best friend, your worst enemy.”
The immediate past Kaduna state governor was one of the 48 ministerial nominees President Bola Tinubu sent to the Senate for confirmation.
The Senate approved and confirmed the ministerial nominations of 45 appointees of the president but withheld the confirmation of El-Rufai and two others over ‘security clearance’.
He was reportedly seen at the Villa after he wasn’t confirmed by the Senate.
He also said to have withdrawn his interest in becoming a minister in the Tinubu-led administration.
Kaduna State Governor Nasir El Rufai has restated his administration’s continued support for the annual Kaduna Books and Arts Festival (KABAFEST), describing the festival as a platform to celebrate literary art and encourage literary talents from northern region.
He said the first two editions of the festival have proven it to be a vital mix of global ideas and conversations, adding that ‘our aspiration to institutionalise Kabafest is being attained.’
Governor El Rufai, who spoke at the opening ceremony of this year’s Kabafest in Kaduna on Wednesday was represented by his deputy Hadiza Sabuwa Balarabe.
“Kaduna State embraces its diversity and views literature as one of the most important channels that we can use to explain ourselves first internally and to the world; build a sense of common community.
“The creative arts are in themselves sources of economic dynamism. The Nigerian film industry and our musicians are breaking new grounds and demonstrating sustained visibility,” he added.
According to him, the state seeks more creative arts not only to nurture minds but also to create wealth for the people.
Apart from books, he said, the state’s creative arts programme seeks to promote film,music, and art in general.
“We have staged two editions of Kaduna Music Festivals bringing musicians from across the country. We were able to stage a colourful Durbar to mark the centenary of Kaduna city in 2017. ” he said.
South African writer, Natalia Molebatsi has on behalf of her country apologised to Nigerians for the ongoing xenophobic attacks on foreigners in South Africa.
She stated that she does not know if she should take responsibility but that such crisis which happens in the world has found it’s way to South Africa and seems to be devouring the black people and women especially.
“And it looks like we are always the responsible ones; the ones who are available for violence to unleash itself into our skins. I hope that through our words we are able to mend the situation. And we are always going to find the spirit of Pan Africanism because this is what we were taught,” she added.
Director, Books Buzz Foundation, Lola Shoneyin commended the courage of the three South African writers who agreed to attend the festival against the diplomatic tensions between Nigeria and South Africa. “We remain united and committed to doing what creative Africans have always done, which is to rise above the poisonous rhetoric and provide reminders that our common humanity is much more important than anything that seeks to divide us. It is a great mistake to underestimate the power and value of creative arts,” she said.
Kaduna State Governor Mallam Nasir El-Rufai has praised the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA) Director-General, Dr. Dakuku Peterside, tfor developing the maritime sector and increasing its contribution to the economy.
He said Dakuku’s appointment was one of the best decisions of President Muhammadu Buhari in its drive to revolutionise the maritime industry.
He said Dakuku had brought his wealth of experience to bear on the sector, leading to reforms that have produced significant growth in the industry in a short period.
“Dr. Dakuku is a vibrant young man who has brought a lot of reforms to the maritime industry. This is what you get when you appoint young and knowledgeable people and this appointment has brought a lot of gains to this administration,” he said.
The governor said with the length of the Nigerian coastline, the country deserved more benefit from maritime.
