OBASAJO'S VISIT TO EL-RUFA'I IN KADUNA
OBASAJO'S VISIT TO EL-RUFA'I IN KADUNA
By:
Nurudeen Dauda
December 15, 2019
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The visit of former president Obasanjo on the 11th day of December, 2019 to Governor Nasir Ahmad El-rufa'i his former DG Burea of Public Enterprises and the Minister of FCT has been given so many interpretations by different observers with some linking it to the"politics" of 2023 while others gave it other meanings. However, let me discuss his visits on it "face value" in the first place before discussing its various other insinuations by different observers.
The visit of president Obasanjo to Kaduna on its "face value" was to deliver a lecture to the participants of Kashim Ibrahim fellowship, KIF, which is an initiative for grooming future leaders. Governor El-Rufa'i in chapter three of his book called "The Accidental Public Servant", observed that Nigeria lacks groomed and or prepared leaders where he said thus:
"I believe that we have failed to develop any process of identifying, training and rewarding leadership, of putting people who are potential leaders through a crucible to determine their preparedness and worth. Instead , people just emerge out of nowhere... As I observed earlier, Nigeria no longer has the likes of Oxford, Cambridge and LSE where the bulk of the British leadership is incubated, nor a Harvard, Princeton and Yale, where a large percentage of American's business and political leadership is groomed..."( Accidental Public Servant , P. 57).
That in my observation led to establishment of KIF. On the 2nd of August, 2018 the first set of 16 youth were selected for one-year program of Kashim Ibrahim fellowship, KIF, from different places and backgrounds out of the 1,300 young persons that applied for the programme.The participants are exposed to programme of immersion in the daily work of government agencies, lectures and seminars on leadership, working trips and speaker series that enabled them to share from the experiences and insights of leaders in government, business and other endeavours.
The initative from its first set to now has so far received lectures series from former Governor Kashim Shettima, former governor Adams Oshiomole, former Governor Rotimi Ameachi, and Emir Muhammad Sanusi II etc.
However, on the issue of other insinuations by observers we have one, the observers argued that the visit has connection with the appointment of governor El-Rufa'i by National Economic Council, NEC, as the chairman for the "review of power privatization", but unknown to the promoters of this argument, power privatization was done in 2013 under President Jonathan not president Obasanjo.
Two, some people argued that the visit has to do with the alleged $16bn spent on power sector under president Obasanjo, but unknown to the promoters of this argument , governor El-Rufa'i's committee's mandate does not include the probing of the alleged $16bn spent on the power sector .
Three, some people argued that president Obasanjo who has been a long time political "opponent"to Senator Bola Ahmad Tinubu who is rumoured to be a 2023 presidential contestant went to Kaduna in order to align with Governor El-Rufa'i who is also rumoured to be a presidential contestant that will likely pose the biggest threat to Tinubu's ambition come 2023. This line of argument believes that president Obasanjo will do every to stop Tinubu.
On this third argument one would say politics is a game of all possibilities especially in view of the fact that the issue of zoning of presidential office come 2023 has not been settled by both the governing APC and the opposition PDP. In my observation, from the political intrigues ongoing in the opposition PDP in anticipation of the governing APC's concession of power to the south , the PDP will likely field a Northern candidate for its numerical advantage in order to recapture power back to its fold. But however, If that political prediction becomes real the governing APC might likely be forced to field a Northern candidate in order not to be outsmarted by the opposition PDP.
Even though governor El-Rufa'i has never even for once declared his intention to contest for the number one seat , his name has always been linked to presidential contest from 2007 to date by the Nigerian media and many political observers. It was (and or is) perhaps due to his enormous leadership potentials for the number one office in the land.
Permit me to say that I admired his enormous "courage" and "speed" in decision making. Even his worst will agree with me that, he is a decisive leader. However, one must quickly add that, governor El-Rufa'i like every other human being is not "infallible". His philosophy in governance, in my observation, is pursuing the"ideal"no matter the"pains". It is on this philosophy that many people opined that, he lacks"compassion" and or "empathy".
The politics of 2023 would likely going to be very interesting. Who gets it? Only time shall tell!
May God bless Nigeria!