Senator representing Kaduna Central Senatorial district, Senator Shehu Sani has cautioned Governor Nasir Ahmad El-Rufai over what he described as reckless statements.
The All Progressive Congress (APC) Senator who has been opposed to El-Rufai on some issues in the state described as ‘irresponsible’ a statement recently credited to the Governor asking those aggrieved over appointments to climb the Kufena Mountain and fall.
Senator Sani replied the governor on the Kufena Mountain saga while receiving the youth group from Southern Kaduna who paid him a courtesy visit in his Kaduna Office.
“The positive aspect of the Governor’s proclamation on the Kufena Mountain is that, he has put it on a national discourse and it has become a tourist attraction for people who want to see where the opposition are supposed to go climb, fall and die.
“But in a serious sense, it is an irresponsible statement to have called on people who voted us into power to climb such a hill, fall and to die.
“My advise to all the opposition forces in Kaduna State, is that we should turn Kufena hills into our meeting place to demand for good governance, accountability and government without arrogance,” Sani said.
On the alleged marginalisation of the people of Southern Kaduna, he said, “the future of Southern Kaduna cannot be realised due to greed and sycophancy of their elites.”
“The younger generation of Southern Kaduna must continue to mount pressure on the state government and continue to irritate the ears of the federal government at the national level on development of the region.
“What happened in the past is likely to happen under this government. So the people of Southern Kaduna people must continue to challenge the Government of the state to demand equal opportunity and equal representation and you must not allow yourself to continue to play the second fiddle nor should you rest on bronze medal. You must be respected and the only way to get your respect is to continue to challenge the establishment and political order in the state.”
He emphasised that in the past, the elites from the southern Kaduna mortgaged their rights and entitlements of their people in bargain for their personal and political gains, hence the reason the area is the most underdeveloped part of north western part of Nigeria.
Tag: el-Rufai
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Senator cautions El-Rufai on utterances
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El-Rufai approves N180m counterpart funding for healthcare
Kaduna State Governor Nasir El Rufai yesterday unveiled a new primary healthcare law at a local and international stakeholders’s summit.
The ceremony was part of the second Kaduna Health Summit where the governor led a roundtable on how to improve primary healthcare in the state’s 225 wards.
Also, Health Commissioner Prof. Andrew Nok, said Kaduna State had approved N180 million counterpart funding for the Health sector to augment funding partners’ financial assistance.
The summit was attended by representatives of the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation and similar organisations.
Addressing participants, El-Rufai said: “When we had the first summit on June 16 in this room, our young government was delighted by the turnout and your willingness to work with us. Health is one of the priority sectors for this government. I must thank you for sharing our goal to deliver for Kaduna State residents better health and longer life expectancy.
“During the first summit, we shared with you some of the dismal indices of our state in infant and maternal mortality, malaria treatment, measles vaccination and HIV/AIDS prevalence. We did that, not for purposes of pointless lamentation, but to underline the scale of the challenge, and our duty to deliver better healthcare outcomes for our people.”
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El-Rufai: I didn’t nominate my sister as minister
Governor Nasir El-Rufai yesterday dismissed claims that he engineered the nomination of his foster sister, Zainab Ahmed, for appointment as minister representing the state.
He branded the allegation as a figment of the imagination of some people who are not pleased with the drastic changes he is effecting in the state.
Zainab Ahmed is currently Executive Secretary, Nigeria Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (NEITI).
El-Rufai, speaking at the fourth Town Hall Meeting with residents of the state, said he has discovered that some people who are pretending to be members or supporters of the All Progressives Congress (APC) are in fact working for the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
He said that he did not even nominate anyone to President Muhammadu Buhari to consider for ministerial appointment.
El-Rufai took a swipe at critics who had accused him of favouring the northern part of the state in his appointments.
A non-governmental organisation under the aegis of the Coalition of Civil Society Organisations (CSOs), from Southern Kaduna, had alleged that appointments by the El-Rufai government are skewed in favour of northern Kaduna.
Spokesman for the group, Mr.James Kantyip, had said: “as Nigerians they (people of Southern Kaduna) are pained that the governor has treated the southern Kaduna people with unabashed vendetta because most of southern Kaduna did not vote for him and because of our religion and ethnicity.
“Of the 13 commissioners, only four are from southern Kaduna. This is very unfair and a violation of the constitution.”
But El-rufai in apparent reference to the group at the Town Hall meeting dismissed the allegation, saying there was no iota of truth in their claims.
He said his administration is serving the interests of the diverse people of the state and would carry them along in all appointments, but maintained that some elements who want to reap where they did not sow are jokers.
“You don’t expect me to reject those who voted for me and pick those who worked against me,” he said.
Besides, the governor warned that his administration would deal ruthlessly with individuals or groups who attempt to breach the security of the state.
“No one, no matter how highly placed, who attempts to cause trouble in the state, will face the full weight of the law, he vowed.
He also said the state executive council has approved the purchase of 107 vehicles for security agencies in the state.
On health, the governor said he is collaborating with the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, Dangote Foundation and UNICEF in advancing health outcomes of the people, adding that “the initiatives include healthcare, nutrition, HIV and AIDS, water, sanitation and child protection.”
He also announced a grant of $1million from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation.
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El-Rufai denies nominating sister for ministerial position
The Kaduna State Governor, Malam Nasir El-Rufai has refuted claims that he nominated his foster sister, Zainab Ahmed as the ministerial nominee representing Kaduna state.
He dismissed the allegation as a figment of the imagination of some elements who are not pleased with the drastic changes going on in the state.
Zainab Ahmed was until her nomination the Executive Secretary of Nigeria Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (NEITI).
Governor El-Rufai who spoke on a wide range of issues at the 4th Town Hall Meeting to interface with the people of the state on Saturday, said he has discovered that some elements are carrying the face of the All Progressive Congress Party, APC, but deep in their hearts, they represent the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP.
He insisted at the meeting which took place at the Kaduna International Trade Fair Complex,
Rigachikun, Kaduna, that he neither submitted anybody’s name as ministerial nominee nor that of his sister.President Muhammadu Buhari acted on his own wisdom by nominating the Executive Secretary of NIETI as minister, El- Rurai stated.
Governor El-Rufai took a swipe of his critics for accusing him of running a vendetta government, saying such people should not expect appointments from his administration.
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El-Rufai wins CGPI governor of the month
• Kogi, Akwa Ibom at the bottom
Governor Nasir Ahmad El-Rufai of Kaduna State has been adjudged governor of the month for September by the Lagos-based Centre for International Advanced and Professional Studies (CIAPS).
He scored a total of 72 per cent based on such variables as Payment of Salary, New Projects, Education, Security and Leadership by example.
He is trailed by Governors Adams Oshiomhole of Edo State and Willie Obiano of Anambra State both of whom scored 62% each.
The governors of Kogi and Akwa Ibom states came last with 25 per cent each, according to the CGPI coordinator, Mr. Olumuyiwa Ayoola.
Ayoola said the study is based on a comparative analysis of governors performance tagged CIAPS Governors Performance Index (CGPI) monthly.
Each of the governors is monitored and studied from their first day in office and the findings were graded and compared to other governors across the country.
Commenting on the CGPI report, CIAPS Centre Director and CGPI Chair, Prof Anthony Kila, stated that the “CGPI is a useful tool for democracy and good governance as it allows government to be objectively measured against their peers and compels all in power to be mindful of accountability.”
The variables used for measuring governors, performance this month takes into account that most governors are new to office whilst some have been there for a longer period of time.
Kila further explained that he hopes that the CGPI monthly reports will allow governors to sit up, improve their performances during their tenure and even enter into healthy competition between themselves for the benefit of their states and the country as a whole.
The CGPI committee will continue to meet monthly at CIAPS to review performance of state governors in the country.
CIAPS is the first paperless institution in Africa and it is running career-oriented programmes aimed at getting graduates and professional into jobs in their chosen professions.
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Independence anniversary: Jonathan’s govt spent only N332.6m, ex-minister tells el-Rufai
The former Minister of National Planning, Dr. Abubakar Olanrewaju Sulaiman, yesterday said the administration of Dr. Goodluck Ebele Jonathan spent over N332.6m on independence anniversary and not N64billion.
The former minister joined issues with Governor Nasir el-Rufai and denied the alleged spending of N64billion on independence anniversary in five years.
But the details released by the ex-minister only covered three years from 2012 to 2014.
He said the independence anniversary budgets for 2010 and 2011 were “not handy now.”
Sulaiman, who made the clarifications in a statement in Abuja, warned el-Rufai against abusing his immunity.
He said: “We were taken aback by the recent comment reportedly credited to Governor Nasir el-Rufai claiming that the Dr. Goodluck Ebele Jonathan’s administration spent N64billion to cover the country’s independence anniversary spending in five years.
“The break down, according to the governor showed that N13billion was spent in 2011, N15billion in 2012 and N14billion in 2013 and N22billion allegedly spent in 2014.
“This tissue of lies was contained on his facebook comment on Thursday.
“Ordinarily, we would have allowed this to go as just ranting of a favour seeker, but for the sake of ordinary Nigerians who were abreast of happenings under the administration and those who never did, we will like to set the records straight.
“It is important to correct the misinformation so that the public would not be misled.
“For the record, a breakdown of our anniversary spending between 2012 to 2014 amounted to N332.6million. We challenge the Office of the Government of the Federation (OSGF) to publish these details for the consumption of the public.
“For the record, a breakdown of our spending for this event between 2012 and 2014 goes thus; 2012-107.6million; 2013-45million and 2014 had 180million.”
The ex-minister asked el-Rufai to provide evidence to back up the allegation of the N64billion expenditure.
He added: “So, the question here is where did the billions as claimed by el-Rufai emanate from? Even though that of 2010 and 2011 are not handy now, but it should be known that they all fall within the same bracket as the one stated, except that the 2010 anniversary was a golden one when the country marked its 50 years of independence. But even then , not such outrageous sum was either budgeted or expended .
“Again, it is germane to explain the increase in the 2013 anniversary spending for the purpose of accountability. The National Honours Award Investiture was incorporated into the celebration, thus making it two events in one, hence the N174,800,000.00 budget.
“We also want to add that the award investiture could not hold in 2013 and the approved budget rolled over and was utilised to organise the investiture in 2014.”
The ex-minister warned el-Rufai against abusing his immunity and fabricating history.
He said: “It is high time government functionaries desisted from abusing their immunity by destroying history and trading on lies just to gain cheap popularity or curry one favour or the other from certain quarters.
“Perhaps President Olusegun Obasanjo was right in his assessment of el-Rufai when he said in his latest memoir, My Watch that his vivid recollection of him (el-Rufai) is his penchant for lying, for unfair embellishment of stories and his inability to sustain loyalty for long.
“That exactly is what el-Rufai has done with his ungodly fabrication of lies against the Jonathan government.
“One hopes that President Buhari would be on guard against being misled by the likes of el-Rufai who are hell bent on misinforming the Nigerian public.”
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El-Rufai frees nine prisoners
Kaduna State Governor Nasir El-Rufai yesterday freed nine prisoners.
He said the gesture, in commemoration of the 55th independence, was pursuant to Section 212 of the constitution as conferred on him.
The governor, who spoke at a colourful parade mounted at the main bowl of the Ahmadu Bello Stadium, Kaduna, by the Army, Police, other security agencies and pupils said of the freed prisoners, five were serving sentences of three years and above, three were released on the basis of age and one on health grounds.
He added that five convicts had their death sentences commuted to prison terms.
According to El-Rufai, five of the prisoners were released on account of good behaviour.
He said the gesture must not be abused, as his administration would not tolerate crime and threat to security under any guise.
The governor noted: “On this occasion, the Kaduna State government decides to extend mercy to prisoners. Pursuant to Section 212 of the constitution, the prerogative of mercy was exercised in favour of 14 prisoners.
“The government commuted the death sentences of five convicts, who will now serve prison terms. Five prisoners serving sentences of three years and above were released on the basis of good behaviour or time served already.
“Three prisoners were released on the basis of age and one person was released due to ill health. In doing our duty to show mercy, the government warns that it will not tolerate crime and threat to security.”
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El -Rufai releases nine prisoners
Kaduna state governor, Malam Nasir El-Rufai, on Thursday freed nine prisoners serving various jail terms in the state.
The gesture which was in commemoration of Nigeria’s 55th independence was pursuant to section 212 of the Nigeria constitution as conferred on the governor.
He explained that five out of the nine prisoners were serving sentences of three years and above, three were released on the basis of age, while one secured freedom on health ground.
The governor added that five condemned prisoners had their death sentences commuted to various prison terms.
El-Rufai announced the gesture during a colourful parade at the main bowl of Ahmadu Bello Stadium, Kaduna.
He said: “On this occasion, the Kaduna State government decided to extend mercy to prisoners. Pursuant to Section 212 of the Constitution, the prerogative of mercy was exercised in favour of 14 prisoners.
“The government commuted the death sentences of five convicts, who will now serve prison time. Five prisoners serving sentences of three years and above were released on the basis of good behavior or time served already.
“In addition, three prisoners were released on the basis on age, while one person was released due to ill health. In doing our duty to show mercy, the government warns that it will not tolerate crime and threats to security.”
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Between Shehu Sani And El-Rufai
Right from his days as Minister of Federal Capital Territory, Mallam Nasir el-Rufai, has carved the image of a no-nonsense, incorruptible and industrious public servant who knows what he wants and goes for it without delay. When he held sway at the capital city, Abuja, and he worked assiduously to restore it to its original plan. He demolished illegal structures belonging to the low, the high and the mighty, including churches and mosques. He personally supervised demolitions of houses of Senate President, PDP chairman, the Inspector General of Police and those of prominent Nigerians and dared anyone who stood on his way.
When he offered himself to run for the governorship of Kaduna State in the 2015 General Election, he promised to turn the fortunes of the state for the better. He promised the people free education and creation of over 3,000 jobs, among others. He allayed their fears that he would not use his Abuja style to run the affairs of Kaduna since they are different.
The people believed him and overwhelmingly voted him into power. And on assuming office, he did not tarry a bit. He constituted his cabinet and hit the ground running when other governors were still basking in the euphoria of their victory at the polls.
First, he reduced the number of commissioners in the state from 23 to 13. He scrapped some ministries and merged some others. He banned all allocations of fertilizers to traditional rulers and politicians and distributed them to real farmers in the state.
El-Rufai blazed the trail in reducing his salary and that of his deputy by 50 per cent. He stopped annual Ramadan welfare packages and ordered biometric verification for civil servants in the state.
In no time, El-Rufai bagged Governors’ Performance Award from a Lagos based Centre for International and Professional Studies which conducts monthly performance review of governors in the country. The group used such criteria as readiness for office, innovation in office, ability to be in tune with the mood of the nation, security and leadership to score him first.
But one thing that has pit Governor El-Rufai and the ordinary people of the state is his decision to take beggars off the streets of Kaduna. After the bomb blast of June 11, in the midst of civil servants crowded for the biometric verification in Sabon Gari Local Government Area which left 26 dead and 35 injured, El-Rufai perhaps thought that the beggars posed a security risk, that terrorists could use them to cause mayhem and so banned begging in the state.
Since then the state has known no peace as beggars staged public demonstration and challenged the governor to a contest of will. They threatened him with legal action to force their fundamental rights of freedom of movement and association as well as spiritual attack. The people lamented that contrary to El-Rufai’s promise during campaigns to stamp out poverty, he has visited them with hardship and misery. They accuse him of threatening their livelihood, demolishing their shops, houses and their businesses in the name of making Kaduna the Dubai of Africa. They therefore swore to bring down his government unless he rescinds his decision. The physically challenged persons dared him and returned to the streets.
El-Rufai seems to have come to terms with the implications of the obnoxious policy and reversed himself by appointing a visually challenged man as Special Assistant to the Governor on Disability. The beggars returned to the streets.
Even then, the people seem not to be assuaged by that action. And one man who has consistently challenged El-Rufai is Comrade Shehu Sani, the Senator representing Kaduna North Central in the National Assembly. Comrade, an APC Senator, is also President of the Civil Rights Congress of Nigeria, a human rights organisation based in Kaduna.
Comrade Sani insisted that El-Rufai must understand that he is presiding over human beings that have suffered enough and must not add to their hardship. “I do not mean anything harmful or bad to him. I feel pained; in some parts of Kaduna today, you will see groups of people sitting down and saying they regretted voting for APC and even some of them came out to be praising Ramalan Yero (former governor) and other PDP people. It gives me a lot of pain…There is no way I would like to see my people saying that if they had known they wouldn’t have voted for us because, we came in and that we were oppressing them, denying them, demolishing their houses and all that we said we were coming to do, we refused to do,” he said in an interview recently.
Some have said he is attacking Governor el-Rufai because he wants to be governor in 2019. But he said it is only El-Rufai’s supporters who could say so because he knew that if he (Sani) had wanted to be governor when he came out to contest, El-Rufai could not have become governor.
Sani insisted: “Our people need socio-economic liberation. Our people need jobs, they need medicare and education; they need to be freed from economic bondage which they have found themselves in. So if you are in government, your priority should be how to make life better for people, from the position you met them.”
He said that El-Rufai’s programmes and policies are clearly alienating the people and attracting anger and condemnation on APC and anybody associated with the party.
But whatever is the motive, the point has to be made that while trying to develop Kaduna he should not sacrifice the very people who voted him into power. He should provide alternative means of survival for the victims of the quantum demolition, alternative markets for traders, and rehabilitation centres for the beggars. He should provide shelters for handicapped, create jobs for those adversely affected by demolitions and pay compensation for those who have lost their houses of abode.
This reminds me of a story I read recently about a blind boy. The blind boy sat on the step of a building with a hat by his feet. He held up a sign which read, “I am blind, please help me.” For hours only few coins were dropped in the hat. A man passing by noticed it; he took the sign, turned it around and wrote some words and put it back so that any passer-by could see it. Soon many people started giving money to the boy.
The man who wrote the words came around to see what was happening. The boy recognised his footsteps and asked,” Are you the one who changed my sign this morning? What did you write?” I wrote, “Today is beautiful, but I cannot see it.” The first sign simply said the boy is blind but the second told the people that they were so lucky they were not blind. We could have been like any of the less-privileged. Their condition is no fault of theirs. We should have pity and provide solution to their problems rather than compound them.
- Okafor writes from Lagos.
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El-Rufai sends N20m gift to Kaduna pilgrims
Kaduna State Governor Nasir Ahmad El-Rufai has sent N20million as Eid-el-Kabir gift to the 5,710 indigenes in Saudi Arabia.
Each of the pilgrims got 50 Saudi Riyals, equivalent to N3,500.
The Amirul Hajj and Emir of Birnin Gwari, Alhaji Zubairu Jibril Maigwari II, presented the governor’s widow’s mite to the pilgrims in Mina.
He said El-Rufai rejoiced with the pilgrims on the successful completion of the hajj.
The emir said: “Governor El-Rufai asked me to wish you happy sallah and congratulate you on the successful completion of the hajj. He prayed that Almighty Allah would accept your hajj.”
He urged the pilgrims to desist from spreading rumours concerning the casualties of last Thursday’s stampede in Mina, adding that they should wait for the authorities to confirm the casualty figures and get across to the victims’ families.