The Kaduna state governor, Malam Nasir Ahmed El-rufai, has performanef excellently in terms of infrastructure development of the state. He has transformed Kaduna state from an administrative centre to a commercial state.
He has created enabling environment for the youth to excel in the state, by creating avenue for them to develop their entrepreneurial skills. The governor has expanded the state, all in hisa first term as a governor in 2015. He renegotiated the contracts awarded by his predecessor, given his experience as a quantity survey and a former minister.
El-Rufa’i proceeded in renovating government properties that were abandoned for several years. This is a man who hai changed the narrative at the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) and made it for conducive for living by solving the security challenges. He implemented the Abuja master plan, faithfully to reposition the FCT to the world. Malam Nasir El-Rufa’i has shown leadership quality as far as Nigeria is concerned; he did it as a minister and he is doing it as a governor too.
Whether we like it not, El-Rufa’i is a natural leader, who knows what is good for his people and has their future at heart. He can predict, that is why the governor is expanding the state by linking some neigbhouring villages and towns to the state capital, as well as modernising the markets across Kaduna state. He is putting all these in place to an international standard, which shows that his traveling around the world was not in vain. I’m proud of Governor Nasir Ahmed El-Rufa’i, in the sense that whatever people say about him, I remain as his fan and follower, defend him and pray for him too, I wish he would be president of the country and if he refuses to contest for the president of this country, whoever emerges as the president should consider him as automatic minister of works and housing or minister of power. The commissioners of works or the 36 state governors would be assigned to supervise all the federal government projects in their respective state and account for the contractors’ performance.
I trust what he can do, this is the reason in one of my articles in 2015, titled ‘Little but mighty’, I thanked Almighty Allah that he has maintained El-Rufa’i’s standard and that as a leader, I’m proud of him.
Look at the manner at which he brought in his deputy, Dr. Hadiza Sabuwa Balarabe. She said: “Malam El-Rufa’i had on several occasions narrated the events of how I became his running mate. He sent for me, which wasn’t new, considering the renovation and rehabilitation of the primary health centers that the agency was overseeing. Truly, I thought that the discussion would only be on our assignment, but along the line he asked me why I wasn’t taking any interest in politics. Of course, I had no answer. He advised that I take an interest, because it will be good for me in the future. And that was it. On my part, I just continued my work at the agency. That’s the closest discussion about my likelihood of joining him that we had.” One her interview.
Some people complained that the governor borrowed money for the projects. My poser is twhich governor in the history of Kaduna state has not borrowed money yet nothing to show for it? He utilised his borrowing and the projects are everywhere in the state. The governor completed all the abandoned projects in the state and commenced new ones. He made sure that he completed all projected he initiated. Most of the roads in Kaduna are dualised, that is about 80 percent of the roads, compared what we have in the past. In the past we, only had five percent of the roads dualised, roads like Ahmadu Bello way, Constitution road, Alikali road and Independent way, which was done by the Petroleum Trust Fund (PTF).
Promised kept ‘Amana’ which Governor El-Rufa’i has done to the Kaduna state citizens and Nigeriand at large. It was his superlative performance that made President Muhammadu Buhari endorsed him as the governor of the state. Following El-Rufa’i’s performance, President Buhari was in the state to commission the projects of the governor on January 20, 2022. The president was pleased and grateful that the change mantra of the party is working of in Kaduna state.
Raji Suleiman,
Mando, Kaduna
