Governor Nasir Ahmad El-Rufai, of Kaduna state on November 23, 2022, at the inauguration of the Kaduna State Campaign Council of the All Progressives Congress (APC), surprised his party members and stunned the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), with an unreserved apology to anyone he might have unknowingly offended, in the performance of his assignment as governor, which he was elected to perform.
El-Rufai, though considered arrogant by some political opponents, debunked the false narratives peddled by detractors, by also seeking forgiveness. He equally showed leadership, by not demanding any apology from his traducers, who are legion.
But this isn’t El-Rufai’s first time tendering an apology for any perceived wrong. As Chairman of the APC Kogi State Campaign Council, El-Rufai had publicly apologised to the people of the state for the actions and inactions of Governor Yahaya Bello, who was facing a difficult re-election. El-Rufai’s apology went a long way in assuaging the anger of the people, who had vowed to inflict electoral defeat on the APC.
He said, “If Yahaya Bello has offended; I am asking you to forgive him. He is young and bound to make mistakes and learn from them”.
In March 2020, El-Rufai also apologided to the people of Kaduna state over the incessant attacks across the state, in which scores of people were killed, even though the responsibility for security rests squarely with the federal government, due to a high sense of responsibility.
In his usual candour, at the inauguration of the campaign council, El-Rufai said: “If in the course of performing the herculean assignment, you the good people of Kaduna state saddled me with, and I have in any way offended you, I sincerely beg for your forgiveness”.
Continuing, he pleaded with those bearing any grudge against him, to restrict their negative emotion to him alone, and not to transfer their anger to the Senator Uba Sani, the APC candidate and sure banker in the 2023 gubernatorial race. Like often stated, you can’t visit the sin of the father on the son or that of the son on the father.
The governor’s unexpected apology as expected has not only sparked off exciting discussion but has lent itself to different interpretations, which is not unexpected, considering we are in the heat of electioneering season. But he did certainly throw the main opposition PDP off balance.
The PDP, like in the 2019 elections, has built its campaign on the perceived anger of the people and paid little or no attention to issues.
Against this backdrop, there is a need for deeper interrogation of El-Rufai’s apology, in order to put the issues in a proper perspective. First, did El-Rufai truly commit offences against the people who graciously gave him the mandate in 2014 and 2019 to preside over the affairs of the state? Did he in any way “harm” the very people he swore an oath to help? If he wronged some people, were the wrongs deliberate? Was it for some sadistic pleasure? Did he enjoy inflicting pain on the so-called victims? Or was it for the overall good of the greatest number of people?
Listening to conversations in the simmering anti-El-Rufai camp, you could easily get the impression that the outgoing governor, indeed, planned and implemented the policies for the sole purpose of inflicting hardship on the people, because he hated them, when, in fact, he actually loves them.
The reality is that of a democratically elected governor, who was strongly desirous of leaving a legacy of development that posterity would remember him for; and as someone who made a difference in the lives of the people rather than hardship.
It is obvious that no sane person would consciously work hard to be remembered for doing evil and El-Rufai committed no sin, developing Kaduna state.
Indeed, there is a need to take another look at El-Rufai’s alleged sins. When you look with eyes free from the goggles of hate and dishonesty, it becomes clear that the alleged offences of the El-Rufai administration were, in fact, the inevitable consequences of the giant steps taken by the regime to improve the developmental narrative of Kaduna state.For instance, the El-Rufai administration successfully carried out critical reforms of the public service, restoring efficiency and productivity, which has helped in service delivery. The exercise saw the disengagement of deadwoods, and the subsequent hiring of fresh hands to boost service delivery.
Similar reforms also took place in the local government system, where many idle hands and clogs, that deterred progress were disengaged. As a result, the local council administrations, hitherto moribund, witnessed a great revival and became able to pay salaries and even implement multimillion-Naira road projects for the benefit of rural dwellers.
How can anyone think that the El-Rufai administration wronged the deadwood who got weeded out? Or that by demolishing and paying adequate compensation for the urban renewal projects, he committed a crime?
More earthshaking, is the “sinofin” the eyes of the PDP of flushing out of over 22,000 unqualified and grossly incompetent teachers from the crucial state basic education sector, by the outgoing administration.
It’s a shame that opposition politicians hold these up as the cardinal sins of Mallam El-Rufai, over which his party’s candidate, Senator Uba Sani, must be rejected.
On this, it is important to refresh our memory. When El-Rufai came into office in May 2015, he received the report of the Education Support Programme in Nigeria (ESSPIN), which showed that 83 per cent of teachers in Kaduna state basic schools scored below 25 per cent in mathematics and literacy exams. The tests were based on the basic education curriculum.
What knowledge will teachers who cannot spell their own names correctly, be imparting to our children? They were rightly booted out, and replaced by more qualified teachers, who can groom and equip these pupils with the skills they need to survive in the modern world and contribute meaningfully to the progress and wellbeing of the Commonwealth.
Is it right to vilify El-Rufai, rather than commend him for finding the courage to go through this laudable route? It must be noted that El-Rufai undertook this assignment in the first term because he considered it critical.
Another well-publicized El-Rufai sin, which we need to interrogate, has to do with the demolition of some properties for new roads and markets. Indeed, development sometimes rubs a few people the wrong way. As the saying goes, there’s no gain without pain.
For instance, to expand existing road infrastructure, the state government had to take off people’s homes and businesses located along the project’s right of way. It is an established global practice that legitimate and customary occupants of land can be displaced to facilitate a public good, and be compensated.
For example, the Fifth Amendment to the constitution of the United States guarantees the power of the government to take over private property and convert it into public use. Known and referred to as the power of Eminent Domain, the law requires the government to provide just and equitable compensation to the property owner.
In all cases that the El-Rufai administration removed private property to facilitate infrastructural development, just and equitable compensation was duly paid to the affected persons.
So then, should we crucify the governor or reject his worthy successor, on account of demolitions that made way for new roads in the state, that everyone, including the PDP people, is enjoying?
That would be tantamount to punishing performance and discouraging service delivery.
Nasir El-Rufai hasn’t violated his oath of office which obliged him to be fair and just to all in Kaduna state. Therefore, the public apology cannot be construed as an acceptance of guilt, a show of remorse, or an expression of regrets over any of his landmark administrative policies, programmes or actions. If anything, the apology was an act of simple courtesy borne out of a good heart.
The apology reinforced the humanity of Nasir El-Rufai, in contrast to some of his peers who portray the image of an all-wise emperor that cannot err.
El-Rufai, by apologising, simply reminded the audience that he isn’t infallible. That like all humans, he could err and deserves forgiveness, if he indeed offended anyone.
In any case, punishment for the presumed errors of El-Rufai cannot be transferred to the account of Senator Uba Sani; as they are two different people, like El-Rufai said.
The holy book is clear on how we should apportion punishment for sins. It says: “The son shall not bear the iniquity of the father; neither shall the father bear the iniquity of the son. The righteousness of the righteous shall be upon him, and the wickedness of the wicked shall be upon him.”
Ogbuagu writes from Kaduna
