After about two weeks of absence from public appearances, Governor Nasir El-Rufai of Kaduna State yesterday showed up at a peaceful rally of local labour unions in the state and announced that he was alive and healthy, saying he would go on with the demolition of all illegal property erected on public school lands in the state
His response came against the backdrop of wide spread rumours that the governor was afflicted with a curse which made him sick and rushed abroad for medical attention as a result his demolition of property of powerful persons in Zaria, and his resolve to do same in Kaduna.
As if to prove the rumour mongers wrong, El Rufai, his deputy, Barnabas Bantex, and a coterie of aides walked half a kilometre from his Kaduna State Government House office under the blazing sun, down the entry gate where he met a crowd of Nigerian Labour Congress, NLC, and Trade Union Congress, TUC, members singing labour songs and carrying placards and banners bearing friendly messages.
El-Rufai listened to the praises showered on him and President Muhammadu Buhari and the demands by the NLC and TUC.
In his response, El Rufai said: “I want to appreciate your support. I am grateful for all the suggestions you have given me.
‘’I have listened to your demands and I am going to take your message to President Buhari. I am happy to be your messenger because I am just your mere servant and President Buhari is the number one civil servant in Nigeria. He is working for all of us.
“As for me, and my team, we are serious about making Kaduna a better place for all and very uncomfortable for a minority who grab school lands.
“They said I have died, some said that I have collapsed. They said all kinds of things but look at me here today. No one shall distract us from our goal of making Kaduna great again. We must make sure they lose these lands, no matter what it takes.”
