Opinion: A Buhari presidency without El-Rufai is a gamble Kaduna cannot afford

by Abubakar Musa

El-rufai Buhari

Whenever the Roman Emperors wanted to distract their citizens from their incompetence of not delivering good governance, they gave them a slideshow.

They built coliseums and let gladiators have at each other and even have them fight wild animals for maximum show effect. That’s exactly what the national ruling party, in Nigeria, and their sitting governors, acceded by some of their gubernatorial candidates too, are doing.

Naturally, comparing the candidature, going by antecedents, of Yero and el-Rufai is a no brainer. However, from what I’ve seen and heard recently from some peeps, though not “much” of them, a boundary ought to be clearly defined, between competence and absolute crass. I’ve written in the past on why Yero shouldn’t stay beyound 2015 as a governor. And there’s no better time to reiterate that call than now.

To give you a clue, if you think president Goodluck Jonathan has been a terrible leader, then you’ve not met governor Yero or experienced his disastrous reign as a governor. I’ve heard people comparing the two, but fact is, that’s unfair to president Jonathan. Yero is worst a bad leader than Jonathan. Yero is a fraud from the beginning, with diffuse, unfocused, crippled mind, and has implemented the greatest confusion and most dangerous political circumstances in our modern history.

The state educational system is at all time low, the agricultural sector is waning, like a cloudburst consumed by the rainbow while no developmental infrastructures of whatsoever name to point at. Economic policies are at best exploitative. Not a single policy aimed at improving the state’s IGR ever developed through out his stay in power. Corruption, like his boss at the center, has reached its threshold.

It’s easy to despise Yero, perhaps the least qualified man ever to accede to the oval office. The depleted resume, the imaginary biographies, the laziness, the arrogance, the profligacy with public treasury, the weakness, the cowardice and the cringing servility when dealing with critics. All these are what characterized governor Yero’s tenure in office, in addition to his vexatious billboards across the state. A governor we will look back upon someday with wonder, shame and national embarrassment – for being as disastrous as many of us never predicted him to be.

While the middle class is consistently losing ground, he, Yero, is busy promoting lies and farce that that Ikara tomatoes company is, from day one. Ethnic relations seem to have gone backwards, while the Kashim House occupier, a clownish, reckless pretender with lethal power to destroy goodwill and human sympathy, is busy spewing gibberish statements about political opponents.

No one trusts the word of the governor because he’s lied so frequently about everything, from health to employment, commerce to infrastructure. City expansion and mass housing scheme is a sector Yero’s government is afraid of discussing for the huge dupery going on there. Rural development is falling apart. Roads and hospitals standardization contracts awarded by late Yakowa’s government rescinded. Fraud scholarships that only his cronies’, and our “imaginary”, applicants secured.

The Kachia ginger industry and Zaria pharmaceutical company are all never looked upon for revival. The Zaria water project that’s taking forever to archive has becomes an avenue for milking the state dry by every administration. Nigerian textile Kaduna and bank of the north can all be tilted toward revival by a competent Kaduna state governor. No! Not Yero. While these potential employer of huge workforce remained dormant, the unemployment rate in the state keeps surging.

Recently, Yero decleared an asset net worth of about 10 billion naira. Yes! Ten billion naira. This is a man whose reign as the commissioner of finance was nothing but a ghost chase. His boss, Sambo, was the alpha and omega of that temporary regime, where both were undistinguished. The rhetorical skill of political manipulation was something he benefited from, becoming the deputy governor before finally benefiting from the fortunate of divinity to became the governor. How Yero amassed a total net worth assets of 10 billion naira within a very short period of time baffles me. But, again, this is Nigeria, where corruption isn’t stealing. But not anymore! Thanks to Buhari’s victory.

Yero has left an indelible mark on his “nascent” political career – the mark of incompetence and hubris. Despite the much touted support and sympathy his administration received across the state initially, the transition has been a complete disaster. As his governorship reign progressed, his lack of experience and basic knowledge of the political circle have been on full display for all to see. Surrounding himself with individuals based on voting bloc and or political clout than what they can offer meaningfully.

This is a very dangerous situation for our dear state, Kaduna. Our governor is a man whose governance, in many areas of history and policy, is simply appalling. He’s rather like the governor in the “Plastic Bubble.” His entire regime has been insulated from any sense of reality regarding the state he governs. He seemingly has no clue about what he is doing, and, increasingly, it shows.

There are virtually no outsized achievements to point to throughout his period. The more soft one tries to be on his government, over time, the more reason he gives you not to, by his actions. Kaduna is the only state with four governors (one legit and three proxy governors – Sambo, Yero’s dad and the emir of zazzau). Remember, in an attempt to avoid becoming politically extinct, Sambo shall attempt to pours all his anger and desperation into retaining Kaduna State, his last bet. This impunity we must stop, since governance isn’t an inheritance game. And yes, a vote for Yero, this Saturday, is a vote for Sambo, too. The choice is all ours to make.

In contrast to Yero, however, his main challenger, mallam Nasir Ahmad el-Rufai, is everything opposite of him, except in looks. I know he’s not a saint, and saint isn’t what we want, because I do not know any that exists. But one thing you cannot take away from el-Rufai is competence and ability to deliver. From his days at the PBE to his days at the FCT, his antecedents are there to speak for him. Many had argued that Kaduna is not Abuja – considering its diversity, landmass and bureaucratic complexity. I’m of the believe mallam is up to the task. Nonetheless, their resentment is, though not justifiable, valid. We’ve been way too long led by clowns to warrant such fears. But with el-Rufai, that narrative is about to change, with excellent delivery of good governance equitably.

Finally, though this piece was influenced by what I saw – individuals defending Yero’s incompetent regime and downgrading mallam’s competence with passion and determination – from some “few” peeps, believe me, they are not few. There are many of them, especially across the rural areas. The presidential election shouldn’t deceive us into believing it’s a game won.

Many factors were at play, then, that may not necessarily be on this Saturday. Much as I respect everyone’s choice, what we’ve before us, this Saturday, is a choice between competence and lack of it, experience and inexperience, immaturity and maturity, good governance and a poor one. For we are more close to this government, when established, than that of Buhari’s. Allowing Kaduna state at the hands of an apprentice and a desperado is a gamble we cannot afford. El-Rufai shall it be, hopefully.

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Abubakar Musa tweets from @blinkingam

 

Op-ed pieces and contributions are the opinions of the writers only and do not represent the opinions of Y!/YNaija

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