El-Rufa’i: So the Rich Can Also Cry

By

Dikko A. Abbas

ibndikko11@yahoo.com

 

One never knew the rich equally cry. Doesn’t it astonish to hear el-Rufa’i cry for similar actions he lashes others when he was a Minister in the Presidency and Chairman FCT administration? Immediate past four years seems too early for Nigerians to forget the rein of terror that greeted the administration of the Federal Capital Territory since its inception over 30 years ago. Guess who was in charge; Malam Nasir Ahmed e-Rufa’i, a Zaria born surveyor and Harvard Business School (USA) product.

 

At mid forties, he had the biggest and brightest opportunity to administered one of the endowed and juicy ministry in the Federal Republic of Nigeria at this generation of millions of hi-tech brains and professionalism in all aspects of human endeavours. He was no respecta of personalities from the top echelon to the down trodden, almost fought everybody in the country, even the instrument that brought him to the system in the name of due process, transparency and accountability base on his own perception.

 

His first causalities as he assumes the hierarchy of authority in FCT, were the former Ministers of the Federal Capital Territory with the exception of one, accusing and condemning them for violation and distortion of the original Abuja master plan, which in one of the write-up’s of Adamu Adamu, tagged; “A master plan call religion”. Secondly, residents, business community, and religious institutions, were visited with a crane of bulldozers in what can be tagged, “Operation demolition” in the name of illegal structures. That not enough, residents saw ejection by the name of illegal occupants even including, personalities, elder statesmen and senior civil servants that put-in considerable years of services to their father land.

 

Thirdly, there were established elements of abuse in the allocation, revocation and relocation of land tittles and deeds, remember those his employees, lieutenants and associates who connived and registered ten different companies and used same to cannibalized and short-changed the process even including that of the innocents title deed holders. All these in the name of correcting the Abuja master plan he accused his predecessors of violating and distorting.

 

Fourthly and not fully suppose to be part of the context of this discourse, were the civil service of not only the FCT administration, but as well, that of the Federation, importers of textile materials and other related goods and of course, Nigerian populace fall part of the system unpopular policies and programmes, which el-Rufa’i  un-passionately happened to spear-head. I could remember, because of their exigencies and complacent in handling the affairs of the Nigerian nation and its people, Kabiru Mato in one of his write-up’s, described their group as self acclaimed people with conventional wisdom and arrogating themselves the powers of Omnipotent.

 

So, el-Rufa’i hues and cries with regards to the recent actions of the substantive Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Dr. Modibbo Aliyu Umar, were for what? Thursday Nov. 22, 2007, Leadership newspaper lead story; Modibbo Playing to the Gallery_ el-Rufa’i, indeed, is a news good enough to heat the headlines. In any case, what remain the actions or in-actions of his successor, el-Rufa’i need not to be sentimental, his explanations and defence would not hold water, in fact, it lacks merit and substance.

 

The unveiling scenarios in the FCT administration or the country at large, under whosoever stewardship or leadership is an oldest and usual phenomena. That is always the nitty-kritty and intrigues of any system, changes are quite inevitable, more especially, the disadvantage position their administration place this country and its citizenry, which basically, became one of the miscalculation of the likes of Patricia Olubunmi Etteh that simply cost her the head and leadership of the Lower House she was so dared to.

 

Therefore, el-Rufa’i, shouldn’t dance to the similar style he did or across the touch line. Once out of the system, completely out of it, that remained the reason(s) why when he was minister, he muster the powers to lambaste anybody in the country that try to comes his way, condemned as many as previous policies and programmes of the past regimes as he so desired and rubbished his predecessors for covertly or overtly destroying the original Abuja master plan. It will rather be good for him to remain silent, because, every noise or foul play he raise, would be a plus and happiness to the millions of innocents people he directly or indirectly castigated.

 

If Yar’Adua can fault most of the policies and programmes of Obasanjo who brought him to power through a do or die affairs, and that is as well, popularly celebrated and applauded, it would amount nothing to Modibbo whom he was not instrumental to influencing his appointment as a minister, to dissuade most of the unpopular policies of his administration as a former Minister in the Presidency and Chairman of the FCT administration.

 

No doubt they were colleagues and ministers under the Obasanjo regime and as well, aspired for a returned as ministers in the present Yar’Adua government. Modibbo, was successful not only because of his pedigree, but, his decorum, civility and public relation with people of not only his constituency, state, but, equally across the board, that gave him the upper hand and the added advantage to be where he is today.

 

Governance in a civilized world, more especially democracy, is not about coercion, terror, impunity and arbitrariness; it is all about people, their popular wishes, needs, yearnings and aspirations in accordance with the statutory rules and regulations of that given State or Nation, which was in the contrary under his minister-ship and Obasanjo presidency. Testimonies, which are not mines only, but, every living soul in this country, read previous newspapers, magazines and journals, watch previous hard talks in our local stations; listen to previous public commentators and court of public opinions to buttress my submission.

 

Hence, the present happenings in the FCT administration under Modibbo Aliyu Umar, is all about people and their collective bargain, justice and fairness, decorum and civility. Actions I suppose, should make el-Rufa’i appreciate the fact that, he is neither indispensable nor having the total monopoly of wisdom so acclaimed and the era of self centeredness or arrogating power to self, is long forgotten and buried. The acts and conduct of art of governance or state craft under this dispensation, has given way to due process in its holistic form, rule of law, natural justice and constitutionally as embedded in the framework of federalism. Luckily and importantly, his friend and colleague that is still in the system, Malam Nuhu Ribadu, attested to this rhetoric.

 

To date, el-Rufa’i remain one among my admirers and mentors, he is indeed, intelligent but, need to be more versatile to blend. At 25, he was able to break the barriers of who he was, where he was, what he want to become and where to begin. Within that age bracket, he was already an accomplished young man and that remain his history to date. But, exuberance and emotionality are minus in the acts and conduct and management of the affairs of people, their polity, economy and environment, these are thoughts and facts, el-Rufa’i is encumbered with and he never wither.

 

I dislike Amadu Ali (PDP National Chairman), base on issues, but, I tend to agreed with his affirmation before the Senate Committee for the screening of the Ambassadorial nominees where he affirmed that, he is intelligent, exposed and experienced. That seems to be true, because, he is wise enough to differentiate between two characters, heads and leaders, their approaches and mannerism of doing things and utilize same to his advantage. In the Obasanjo regime, he was playing to the gallery in the destabilization process to what he; Obasanjo understood to be the definition of leadership and good governance. Not too sooner Obasanjo lives, Amadu quickly recover from the slumber, appreciate their misgivings and deeds and, hastily concur to the existing changes in the present system, facts and figures, el-Rufa’i seems to find difficult to assimilate.

 

No one can doubt the facts that, el-Rufa’i’s four year stewardship as the Chairman of FCT administration was terror deriving and, the anomalies covertly or overtly, knowingly or unknowingly, actions and in-actions taken by either him, lieutenants or subordinates as the several cases may be, are presently the problems been appraised, addressed and corrected by the Modibbo stewardship. And it is gaining serious ground, acceptability, popularity, praises, applause and recommendation by the community of private and public institutions, business, religious, settlers and residents of the Capital Territory and of course, Nigerians at large.

 

Dragging Modibbo to the pages of newspaper, would not carry any weight, it would not create support, sympathy or whatever he may presume for himself. When he was in charge, he not only faulted, but, rubbished what Gen. Muhammdu Gado Nasko, Gen. Jeremiah Timbuk Useini, Arc. Ibrahim Bunu, Engr. Abba Gana among his predecessors did. Gen. Jeremiah T. Useini requested to parley with him to offer some explanations and hindsight into the nature and the working of the Territory, which to the last he left office, never honour.

 

However, the allegations he made against Modibbo deceiving President Umar Musa Yar’Adua, does and would not stand the test of time. One need not be told, the classical nature of Yar’Adua and Obasanjo, Modibbo and el-Rufa’i and of course the unfolding systematic changes in the system. To date, Nigerians are yet to see an individual or a group constituting themselves into cabals with the intent of monopolizing and manipulating the affairs, powers and policy decisions of either the president or the system as was their case, that probably was what informed his thoughts, because, that no doubt was the theatrical nature of the constructive engagement of their administration.

 

This present government is of reconstruction, repositioning and opening new frontiers for Nation building, therefore, no minister, group or whatever has the monopoly of affairs. Soludo and Ribadu, name them, are all playing to the gallery in order to fine-tune a soft and safety landing for this country. Today, Modibbo is invariably in control of the FCT administration, whatever decisions or in- decisions, he took in the discharged of these responsibilities, el-Rufa’i must allow it to hold, flaring off would not remedy his grievances if at all there are any.

 

And one basic fact, we must accept as a people, is imperfection in our actions or in-actions in the discharge of our daily routine duties. Nobody has the monopoly of knowledge nor can absolve self from blames, mistakes, misdeeds or misgivings, this el-Rufa’i must know, so that, he can sober and reflect again in the event other opportunities may come his way. Of all the ministers we had in the last four year administration of Obasanjo, el-Rufa’i had the brightest opportunity to establish a network of friends and associates politically, economically and socially across not only the country, but globally.

 

He was the most influential and the think-tank of the administration, but, he subconsciously and ill-advisedly mismanaged his lucks because of power and office spoils. He spit terror into the anus of many including elder statesman, Justice Bashir Sambo (rtd) of blessed memory, which that became his gradual predicament to eternity.

 

In a robust x-ray of some of the actions of the former chairman of the FCT administration, how does one assess a system and its leader that advocates self reliance as a mechanism for achieving sustainable economic growth, but, thousands lost their hard earns investments through its actions? How do one score a system and its leader fighting the scourges of unemployment, arm robbery and other social vices, yet, millions were force out jobs in the name of reforms without proper provisions to absolve them in the other sectors of the economy? How does one rate a system and its leader that preach due process and respect for the rule of law and constitutionally, but later, found wanting for court contempt, disobedience and disrespect to court rulings and manipulation of the due process to satisfy its personal interest and ego as so desired and fit?

 

There were the kinds of actions and in-actions we saw in FCT administration and Nigeria as a country under the Presidency of Olusegun Aremu Obasanjo and of course, the arrow head of all policies formations and implementations, Malam Nasir Ahmed el-Rufa’i. Yet, he is here today crying fouls against his successor for the same reasons he rubbished others.

 

In fact, one never thought neither expected that the rich would one day cry.

 

Modibbo, Please Move Ahead and May God guide you.

 

 

Abbas A. Dikko

ibndikko11@yahoo.com