Recent events unfolding in the Crocodile city (as Kaduna implies; the city of crocodile in Hausa language) have not only caught the attention of editors and bloggers but has made the mean looking and slim framed governor trend.
Permit me to say the Zaria bred ‘talk and do’ governor has no regards for what anyone feels and throws his threats with relative ease.
The name Mallam Nasir El’Rufai, many would recall, sent FCT landlords into frenzy during his demolition days as the Minister of the nation’s Capital.
He made affected ‘illegal’ occupants of the FCT literally frequent courts for compensations and therefore left no one in doubt of his likely replication of such toughness and high-handedness when he assumed leadership of the Kashim Ibrahim House in Kaduna.
Many had over the years loved and hated him without derailing his focus on standing by his decisions irrespective of whose ox was gored.
I had pondered on his threats overtime and records show he dared anyone who flouted his orders.
Records have revealed that several people waved off his threats and got stung by the fire-spitting die hard ‘Zaria boy’.
Recently, the North-Western state was plagued by series of kidnapping owing to the unannounced invasion of the state by bandits.
The neighboring state of Niger had barely wiped its tears from sleepless nights of banditory attacks before Kaduna began to have its share of back-to-back kidnappings. Yet El’Rufai was unruffled as he promised not to negotiate with the bandits and threatened to deal with anyone who acts on behalf of the state in negotiations.
Many called the governor names with some refering to him as heartless, yet again the slim framed Mallam stood his grounds until the tears of the victims’ families dried up amidst widespread debates on whether or not the bandits should be negotiated with on their hundreds of millions ransom demands.
El’Rufai stood firm on his decision despite the killings of the Greenfield University students and the subsequent protests in the seat of power by the affected parents and families.
It would have possibly become a disaster if the famed bandits negotiator and revered clergyman, Sheikh Gumi, and Chief Obasanjo had not intervened leading to the release of the kidnapped students while the families of the dead students languished in pains.
Let me not bug with the story of this tough talker. He has been adjudged to flex muscles with anything or anyone.
Fast forward to the month of May when he went into a tug of war with the Nigerian Labour Congress over the sack of civil servants in the state, which attracted the wrath of the equally no nonsense NLC President, Ayuba Wabba, who threatened to shut down activities in Kaduna if the sack was not reversed.
This echoed the sound of war between both fiery authorities leading to crossfires and flays of executive orders and audacity displays.
While the watchers of the unfolding drama waited to see the outcome of El’Rufai’s threat to clip Wabba’s wings if he dares get close to the Kashim Ibrahim House, like a flash, a crowd of placard wielding NLC members with several inscriptions trooped to the Kawo neighborhood of the State House to protest.
Wabba threatened to shut down Kaduna, which he did. Like literally stepping on the tail of a wounded lion, El’Rufai roared from his exalted office with an order to sack nurses and Kaduna State University lecturers for joining the fight. This further plunged the state into the deep with many who dared to speak, alleging anarchy looming in the state.
Not even the intervention of the Nigerian Governors Forum (NGF), under the leadership of Governor Kayode Fayemi of Ekiti State, was enough to settle the dust raised by the executive ‘warlords’ as the state went into blackout from orders of Wabba.
El’Rufai also refused to attend the FG brokered peace meeting between Kaduna Government and the NLC.
Another drama that made many wonder if El’Rufai would want to back out from any fight was the order by the NLC to shut down the state.
He had openly without mincing words said the NLC was the problem of Nigeria. Industry observers are poised for a showdown between El’Rufai and the aluta warriors of the NLC.
While it is being viewed from varying perspectives, we may feel the governor may be exercising his experience and knowledge of executive rights and privileges.
Others may feel its mere flexing of muscles and stubbornness.
But don’t miss the unfolding drama ahead as you stay glued to KaftanPost….and don’t cross carpet like Ayade yet.
We move…..
