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Tag: el-Rufai

  • Buhari, El Rufai ‘ll return to office – Kaduna deputy gov

    President Muhammadu Buhari and Governor Nasir El Rufai will win the coming presidential and gubernatorial elections respectively, deputy governor of Kaduna state, Arc Barnabas Bala Bantex has predicted.

    Bantex who spoke at a stakeholders meeting at Zonkwa, headquarters of Zangon Kataf local government yesterday, advised the people of Southern Kaduna to join the mainstream of Nigerian politics.

    Bantex who is also a senatorial candidate in the coming election said that “as someone from Southern Kaduna, I don’t want us to spend another four years outside government.”

    According to him, the Malam Nasir El Rufai-led administration has been equitable to every local government in the state, in spite of political differences.

    “We have been fair and just to everyone in the last three and half years and we have been governing with the fear of God in our hearts since we assumed office,” he added.

    The senatorial candidate advised the people of Southern Kaduna to turn a new leaf and vote for APC in the next elections in order to return Buhari and El Rufai to office.

    According to Bantex, mischief makers want to put a wedge between the APC-led government and the people of Southern Kaduna, by spreading lies and rumour against it.

    Read Also: Quit Presidential race to avoid embarrassment, BMO tells Atiku

    The deputy governor also promised that the administration will continue with the good work that it is executing in Southern Kaduna and the entire state if it is returned to office.

    The senatorial candidate further said that the difference between the present administration and previous ones is that PDP executed projects with an eye to winning elections. “On the other hand, we are working for the future generation,” he clarified.

    The deputy governor said that the present administration has been working to solve the insurgency in Southern Kaduna, which predates it. “However, mischief makers keep saying that we are the source of the crises”, he lamented.

    Bantex recalled that even before they were sworn in, El Rufai had been meeting with security chiefs to find out the real nature of the crises.

    “On May 29, 2015, two people were killed in Sanga local government on the day we were sworn in. So, we had to convene an emergency security meeting on that day,” he added.

    According to him, mischief makers kept saying that “we are the cause of the problem. Sometimes, I get angry when these rumours are being peddled.”

    “However, the governor keeps consoling me that since we are doing our best and with the fear of God, we should not be worried because history will vindicate us,” the deputy governor revealed.

  • El-Rufai decries ethnic and religious politics

    Kaduna State Governor, Nasir El-Rufai has decried the manipulation of religion and ethnicity for political interests, saying that it is holding back the progress of Nigeria. El-Rufai while featuring in a Hausa programme on Federal Radio Corporation of Nigeria (FRCN) Kaduna, on Saturday, said people in their business, travels and daily lives look for who can give them results, with less concern about the faith of that person.

    According to him, “If you are sick and in dire need of life, when you are rushed to hospital, what do you need? Life or religion of the doctor? Life is what you need and you will not waste time on the religion and ethnicity of the doctor. When you are flying, do you care about the religion or ethnicity of the pilot or a safe flight? It’s the same thing with business and investment. You hire those who can make your investment profitable. But when it comes to public service, some people will not be concerned about real development but will start talking of religion and ethnicity. This is a serious problem and is part of the reasons for Nigeria’s retrogression.

    Malam El-Rufai disclosed that some elite who assume they owned the state and must dictate how it is run are unhappy that he has focused on the needs of the ordinary citizens. He said that he is determined that the “resources of Kaduna State must be used for the health care, security, education and economic development of ordinary citizens who have lost access to basic infrastructure for decades.

    “The barrier to progress erected by the elite and a few individuals must be broken. And we will not be intimidated or distracted from putting the ordinary citizen first by mundane and divisive politics. Our trust is in God. This gives us the confidence that the ordinary citizens of Kaduna State see and appreciate what we are doing, and will support us to victory,” he said.

  • 1 million PVC uncollected in Kaduna – El-Rufai

    As traders of the popular Kaduna textile market, Kasuwan Barci endorsed his second term bid, Kaduna State Governor Nasir Ahmad El-Rufai on Friday said, there were over a million Permanent Voters Cards (PVCs) yet to be collected in the state.

    He, however, urged the traders to help in sensitizing their members and the general public to approach INEC to collect their cards, “which alone can guarantee your ability to exercise your civic duty of electing the leaders you want”.

    Receiving the Kasuwan Barci traders at Sir Kashim Ibrahim Goverment House Governor El-Rufai cautioned electorate against surrendering their PVC or its details to people going round, saying the motive of the opposition party was to clone and invalidate their PVCs.

    El-Rufai commended the traders for investing in the economy of the state and for creating opportunities for youths in the market.

    While commending them for being involved in importation of textile materials into the state, El-Rufai restated his administration’s commitment to assist them in boosting their businesses, saying Kaduna state Government welcomes and encourage investors.

    Read Also: ‘Use your PVCs to end dismal PDP in Sokoto’

    The governor, who noted that Kasuwan Barci lacks a warehouse, promised to provide them land for the construction of a warehouse.

    Hundreds of traders under the auspices of Textile Materials Sellers Association who trooped to Government House Friday morning to declare their support to Governor Nasir El-Rufai’s re-election in 2019 polls, praised the Governor for his people-oriented governance.

    Speaking through their leader, during the solidarity visit, Alhaji Umar Muhammed Mai-Shadda, said El-Rufai has demonstrated good leadership in the state and has brought developmental projects that have improved the lives of Kaduna citizens.

    According to Mai-Shadda, the association declared that they will work to ensure victory of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the forthcoming elections.

  • Obasanjo, Saraki, Sambo, Aregbesola, El-Rufa’i, others condole with Shagari’s family

    MORE eminent Nigerians  yesterday  condoled with the family of late ex-President Shehu Shagari.

    They include former President Olusegun Obasanjo, Senate President Abubakar Bukola Saraki,  ex-Vice President Namadi Sambo, former Osun State Governor Rauf Aregbesola, Borno State Governor Kashim Shettima and Kaduna State Governor Nasiru el-Rufa’i have

    They described him as an epitome of personal integrity, commitment, forbearance, forgiveness and faith in God.

    Obasanjo, Saraki, Sambo, el-Rufa’i and Shettima spoke in their condolence remarks at the residence of the late Shagari.

    Aregbesola expressed his condolences in a statement by his spokesman Mr. Sola Fasure.

    Obasanjo was led to the Sama Road, Sokoto family house of the late Second Republic President by Sokoto State Governor Aminu Waziri Tambuwal after arriving through the Sadiq Abubakar III International Airport, Sokoto at about 9a.m.

    The former president, who was received by Shagari’s eldest son, Muhammadu Bala Shagari, said the late elder statesman was a man of simplicity, faith in God and commitment to the fatherland.

    Obasanjo, while noting his days in service and closeness to the late Shagari when they were both Federal Commissioners of Works and Finance in Gen. Yakubu Gowon’s cabinet, said the late Shagari was an honest, transparent and committed Nigerian.

    Obasanjo recalled how the late Shagari expressed surprise when the mantle of leadership was handed to him in 1979 by a military head of state, who happened to be himself.

    The junior Shagari thanked the former President for the condolence visit and appreciated his closeness to late Shagari.

    He noted that Obasanjo was the man, who assisted their late father to have a house of his own in Abuja.

    “Sir, I must say that of our family members of nine children to late Shagari, none of us, if not of recent that two have such property in Abuja. We are living his life style too.”

    He ushered the former President in to condole with the widows.

    Saraki has said Nigerians should learn from the sense of humour, wisdom and patriotism of late former President Shehu Shagari.

    According to Saraki, he was a true and reliable democrat. If we hold on to that, our democracy will be more strong and promising. He stood for the development of Nigeria as a nation.

    Saraki who visited the family of the former President  yesterday afternoon whom he regarded a father and close associate of his late father, described the death as a great loss to Nigeria.

    He said Shagari lived a worthy and trusted life for the development of the country.

    “He lived a humble life to the fullest with exemplary sense of commitment and dedication to service”, he pointed out.”

    Saraki was in company of the PDP National Chairman, Uche Secondus, Sen. Sani Yariman Bakura, Alhaji Tanimu Turaki, Ataahiru Dalhatu Bafarawa among others led by Governor Aminu Waziri Tambuwal.

    Aregbesola said yesterday that he received with much sadness the news of the passage of the first democratically elected president.

    The former Osun State governor said he, however, accepted the news of Shagari’s exit with total submission to the will of Allah, describing it as an irreparable loss to the country.

    He described the former President as a complete gentleman and a devout Muslim through his life.

    He said the deceased could hardly hurt a fly, but found himself among political hawks during his tenure as President.

    Aregbesola noted that the late Shagari was a compassionate person, a patriot, believer in project Nigeria and its unity, which was evident in the slogan of his party – One Nation, One Destiny, One Country.

    Aregbesola noted that Shagari’s demise closed the chapter of the vibrant and colourful presidential gladiators of the Second Republic democratic experience.

    Sambo urged Nigerians to emulate the worthy legacies and principles of the deceased, whom he described as a father.

    Praying for the deceased, Sambo urged other Nigerians to emulate Shagari.

    Also, el-Rufa’i described the late former president as a symbol of respect and humility.

    “We heard a lot about him in our youthful days as students in Barewa College, Zaria on his good leadership virtues,” he said.

    Welcoming them, Shagari’s son expressed gratitude to Allah for the remarks on his late father, whom he described as an uncommon symbol of good relations across the country.

    To Shettima, the late Shagari was a shining example for his unequalled democratic legacies as a unifying factor for Nigeria’s prosperity.

    According to him, “he would be remembered for his humility, selfless service and good governance as a true democrat.”

    More sympathisers also visited and registered their condolences to the family.

  • Kadun: El-Rufa’i vows to punish perpetrators of crisis

    Kaduna State Governor, Nasiru El-Rufa’i has vowed to punish the perpetrators of the recent crisis at Kasuwar Magani that led to several deaths.

    He made the promise at a Town Hall meeting held at Kasuwar Magani in Kajuru Local Government area of the state.

    According to the governor, his administration would not tolerate acts of lawlessness and urged people of the state to live peacefully with one another irrespective of differences among them.

    He lamented over the manner in which the social media is being used by self-centered residents of the community to cause mayhem through the spread of fake news and hate speeches.

    El-Rufa’i described such act as criminal, and vowed that those engaged in it would be duly identified and punished.

    The governor assured that security agents are monitoring and tracking masterminds of crisis in the state.

    He appealed to citizens of the state to report any culprit to security agencies, assuring them that criminals would never go free under his administration.

    In his suggestion on how to end crisis in Kasuwar Magani, the District Head of Kufana, Mr Titus Dauda appealed for additional security personnel and resources in the community.

    Oh  his part, the  Sarkin Kasuwar Magani, Ibrahim Abdullahi, said lack of necessary action against perpetrators has helped in fueling more crisis in the area and appealed to the state government to look into the matter.

    He stressed that traditional leaders irrespective of religion and tribe, must shun sentiment and report any criminal act in their chiefdoms.

    On his part, the Secretary of Jama’atu Nasril Islam in Kajuru local government, Tijjani Muhammad, also appealed to the governor to ensure that perpetrators “are really brought to book.”

    He recalled that some of those known to have actively participated in the crisis in the past, were arrested and released.

    The Secretary of Christian Association of Nigeria in the area, Pastor Joseph Maigida, also expressed similar concern.

    He also emphasized on the importance of living in peace with one another and urged religious and traditional leaders to always preach peace to their followers.

    The purpose of the town hall meeting was to find lasting solutions to the recurring crisis in Kasuwar Magani that had led to death and destruction of properties.  (NAN)

  • El-Rufai signs N157bn 2019 budget into law

    Kaduna State Governor, Mallam Nasir Ahmed El-Rufai on Friday, signed budget of N157.449bn appropriation bill into law for 2019 fiscal year.

    The governor had in August this year  presented the  budget to Kaduna State House of Assembly for  scrutiny and passage.

    El-Rufai also signed the 2019 budget size of N62.34bn for the 23 local government council areas of the state.

    According to the governor, the new financial year for the Kaduna State government and the council areas will begin on the first day of January, 2019.

    In his remarks after signing the budgets, El-Rufai, explained that the state approved budget size for 2019 is N157.449bn. “The approved budget size for 2019 is N157.449bn. The capital component is N94.47bn, while recurrent expenditure is N62.97bn. The budget is slightly bigger than the proposed 2019 Budget of N155.86bn but it retains the 60:40 capital to recurrent ratio”

    “Reflecting our commitment to human capital development, the Social Sector, including Education and Health takes up N39.14bn or 41% of the N94bn capital budget. Education has a capital budget of N25.4bn, while Health has N13.1bn, a concrete demonstration of our desire to promote equality of opportunity by putting people first” he said.

    The governor, while commending the State House of Assembly for the collaborative partnership said a new tradition has now been established to pass and sign state budget in the preceding year.

    El-Rufai said, “In 2019, for the fourth straight year, the new financial year for the Kaduna State Government will begin on the first day of January. Today, this alignment of the fiscal and calendar year for the budget of the state government is being extended to the budget of the 23 local government councils in the state. For the first time in the history of Kaduna State, we are signing the annual budgets for the state government and the 23 local government councils on the same date. This means that our local government councils will, for the first time since their creation in 1976, also begin the financial year on the first day of the new year”

    “It is a consistent pattern of our budgeting that the social sector takes the largest chunk of capital commitments. Thus, while the overall budget size is smaller than it was in previous years, the proportion we devote to human capital development does not shrink.  We remain resolute in implementing our education reforms which aim to improve the quality of education offered in our public schools”

    “For many of us, government schools gave us the education that enabled us to rise above the circumstances of our birth. We owe the children of ordinary people a duty to restore public education as a lever for social mobility.

    “The programme to improve infrastructure in the education sector has been hampered by the irresponsible denial at the Senate of our $350m World Bank loan. But we soldier on with the resources we have. I am happy to report that we have completed the recruitment of 25,000 new primary school teachers. We are now recruiting 7600 teachers for the public secondary schools”

    The governor added: “In the Health sector, 150 of our target 255 primary health centres have now been rehabilitated. In 2019, we expect to recruit over3000 health professionals to strengthen the primary health care sector. Following the passage of the law establishing the Contributory Health Management Authority, the contributory health insurance scheme will take off in Kaduna State early in 2019.

    “The 23 local government councils have an approved 2019 Budget of N62.34bn. In 2018, the State Government launched a Local Government Fiscal Transparency Sustainability and Accountability (LFTAS) Programme that will reward LGs that adopt best practices in budgeting, procurement, tracking absenteeism of teachers and health workers and citizen engagement among other indicators. The programme will be fully operational in 2019. We are committed to ensuring that Local governments play their role in our quest for a better state,” El-Rufai said.

  • Kaduna women to give Buhari, El-Rufai 2m votes

    Women in the 23 local government areas of Kaduna State, under the auspices of El-Rufai Support Group, yesterday promised to deliver two million votes for the re-election of President Muhammadu Buhari and Governor Nasir El-Rufai in the 2019 elections.

    Addressing the women, who gathered at Sir Kashim Ibrahim House for an interaction, the governor’s wife, Mrs. Hadiza El-Rufai, hailed the women for their support urged them to embark on door to door peaceful campaigns especially in the grassroots.

    The governor’s wife hailed her husband for nominating a woman as his running mate, saying her transformation at the primary health agency would be remembered by Kaduna residents.

    Hajia El-Rufai, who cautioned youths not to be involved in any form of violence during campaigns, advised voters to cast their ballots in 2019 for All Progressives Congress (APC) candidates.

    She added: “Our door-to-door campaign down to the grassroots should be based on our achievements in office.”

    El-Rufai’s running mate, Dr. Hadiza Balarabe, urged women to fully participate in the 2019 general elections by voting for APC candidates for continuity that will take the nation to the next level.

    She urged women to embrace peace for socio-economic development, adding that the El-Rufai administration had done excellently well in all sectors and should be re-elected to continue the good job.

    Also, the Commissioner for Women Affairs and Social Development, Hafsat Baba, noted that El-Rufai’s reforms in health, education, among other sectors, needed to be sustained.

    She said: “We know APC candidates and we must votes for all of them in 2019. It’s only then will there be massive development.”

     

     

     

  • El-Rufai, others pay last respects as Army buries ex-COAS Ibrahim

    Kaduna State Governor Nasir El-Rufai, former Head of State, General Abdulsalami, Kogi State Governor Yahaya Bello and the Chief of Army Staff, Lt.-Gen. Tukur Yusuf Baratai yesterday paid their last respect to the late Chief of Army Staff, Lt.-Gen. Salihu Ibrahim was laid to rest in Kaduna.

    Ibrahim died in London on December 10.

    He joined the Army in 1964 as a Second Lieutenant, after training at the Nigerian Defence Academy (NDA) in Kaduna as a member of the school’s Course I.

    The late Ibrahim became the Army Chief between 1990 and 1993 under military President Ibrahim Babangida.

    His funeral (Jannazza) prayer, led by Sheikh Khalid Mohammed Isyaku, took place at Yahaya Road Juma’at Mosque. It was followed by a full military burial at the Commonwealth Cemetery, Kaduna.

    Other dignitaries at the funeral were former State Governor Babangida Aliyu, General Imuwa Wushishi, former Chief of Defence Staff, Gen. Martin Luther Agwai, Minister of Interior, Lt.-Gen. Abdulrahman Danbazau and former military Governor of Kwara State, Alwali Kazir.

    There were also many other senior military officers – serving and retired.

    Speaking on the contribution of the late Gen. Ibrahim to the nation’s Armed Forces, General Abubakar described him as a fine military officer who contributed a lot the defence of Nigeria.

    The former Head of State said his experience and guidance to those in service would be greatly missed.

    He prayed for the repose of his soul and the fortitude for his family, the Army and the nation to bear the irreparable loss.

    Gen. Buratai said the late Gen. Ibrahim was a dedicated officer who contributed immensely to the development of the Army.

  • 2019: Gov el-Rufai speaks fatalistically

    KADUNA State Governor, Nasir el-Rufai, sources tell Sentry in Kaduna, is said to be afraid of losing his second term bid. The governor who recently gave what sounded like a self-consoling speech at an event in Kaduna said he would be the first to concede defeat if he lost the 2019 governorship election. He had better things to do with his life than being the state governor, he moaned. At the event which had gubernatorial candidates of some other political parties in attendance, Mallam el-Rufai said he pitied those aspiring to succeed him, because the job is not an easy one, and he sometimes felt like abdicating.

    “It is my view as candidate of the APC that if INEC should conduct the elections of 2019 with the same kind of credibility as the recent Osun governorship election, there would be no violence at all because it is rigging that leads to violence,” the governor reasoned. “And as a candidate of the  APC, I am saying here and now, I am in a hurry to pack out of the Government House, if the people do not vote for me.”

    Sources whispered to Sentry that beyond the grandstanding, Mallam el-Rufai is at bottom troubled by the unexpected, especially considering the impact of some of his policies. The governor had executed policies widely perceived to have rubbed off badly on the people, chief among which were the sacking of about 22,000 teachers and some categories of traditional rulers, not to talk of the demolition of ‘illegal’ structures and the nomination of a Muslim running mate. The sources tell Sentry that they expect the governor to be a little more sober than his normal sprightly self as the elections draw near. But no one is putting his money on that bet.

  • El-Rufai, Lai Mohammed warn against fake news, hate speech

    …calls for legislation to contain menace
    ….it can’t save opposition from imminent defeat….Lai mohammed

     

    Governor Ahmed El-rufai and Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed have warned of the danger of fake news in the country ahead of the coming 2019 general election.

    Consequently, El-rufai urged the Federal Government to enact legislation that would grant jurisdiction to state judiciaries to handle cases of fake news and hate speeches.

    The current law in the country only grant the Federal High Courts jurisdiction to handle cases of fake news.

    The duo spoke on Thursday in Kaduna when the Minister paid Governor El-rufai a courtesy visit.

    The minister is in Kaduna for the 47th meeting of the National Council on Information, with the theme “Tackling fake news and hate speech to enhance peace and National unity”.

    The governor who said he had a personal share of fake news; saying his Wikipedia was altered to change his nationality and was also alleged to have been clone and from Bamako, Mali.

    He also cited the negative impact fake news have had on the state in recent times, assuring that the state will spear no effort in bringing to book all those invloved in spreading hate speech in the state, including an Abuja based Pastor and the Lagos based journalist.

    Read Also: Court remands pupil for allegedly killing schoolmate

    The governor stressed that conveyors of fake news should not be allowed to go free as they should be made to bear the consequences of their actions.

    The Minister of Information and Culture, on his part said fake news has become the most difficult challenge confronting the country today as it is the most potent weapon in the hands of the opposition party in the run off to the 2019 general elections.

    Mohammed however assured the opposition party that no amount of fake news will save them from total defeat again come 16th February and 2nd March 2019 general elections.

    The Minister also warned that the country will begin to witness more of it, especially now that the election is at hand because the opposition have nothing to debase the ruling party with giving the numerous achievement of President Muhammadu Buhari led administration within the short time.