ANARCHISM AND DICTATORSHIP IN KADUNA By John Danfulani, Ph.D
A few months after delivering his inaugural speech in Murtala Square Kaduna, pronouncements and actions of Governor Nasir Ahmed El-rufa'i started signaling the beginning of a strange political culture premised on executive orders, instead of legislations by Kaduna State House of Assembly(KDSHA). Hiding under the canopy of reforms and quests for a slimmer and efficient government,many unethical and unprofessional decisions were taken without pondering on the short and long term negative consequences of his actions.
Take a look at these actions by His Excellency Nasir Ahmed El-rufa'i since assumption of office on 29th May 2015.
1. He retired Permanent Secretaries without observing the State's civil service rules like ;paying them their entitlements,number of years left before hitting their retirement time, and when they were appointed. Interestingly, the purging exercise was not guided by any standard other than irredentism, nepotism and sectionalism.
2. For over a year now he has been screening civil servants by using all sort of consultants. So far, they have not been able to get a breakthrough. His verification exercise led to non-payment of salaries for some staff for over ten months, and labeling genuinely employed workers ghost workers.Similarly most retirees have 12months arrears to clear from the State Government.
3. In October of 2015, he told critics to head to famous Kufena Mountain in Zaria LGA in Kaduna North Senatorial District and jump down if they can't accept his definition of the truth. Knowing the altitude of Kufena Mountain, his marching order simply said; go and die if you don't agree with me. His order has every feature of a hate speech....an internally condemned crime.
4. Sometimes in the first quarter of 2016 he told the newly sworn in caretaker of 23 LGAs in the state not to have any dealings with PDP members in their LGAs because they are like viruses. This aptly fits into what is known as hate speech. But sometimes in January, the conclave called State Security Council under his leadership milled a resolution against hate speech.
5. In the second quarter of 2016 he called members of APC factional branch called APC AKIDA ants...and that, he will crush them. He spewed this venom while holding town hall meeting in Giwa headquarters of Giwa LGA in Kaduna Central Senatorial District. That was akin to the type of speech former Governor of Katsina State gave in 2014. He was adjudged of committing the sin of hate speech. Using the same yardstick,Mr. El-rufa'i too committed the same sin.
6. Some days ago, he visited a disputed settlement in the southern part of Kaduna city called Gbagyi Villa. While there, he assured his will be victims that he will demolish thousands of structures there. After displaying his dictatorial credentials, he was reminded that there are cases before courts; a kind of reminding him that his action must wait for the the adjudicator(s) to decide who owns the land. Instead of thanking them for drawing his attention on the position of law, he called them thieves and said no-going-back on his demolition plan.
A survey of issues raised from 1 to 6 hereinbefore shows that, the tap-root of dictatorship and autocracy has shot down the political soil of Kaduna State. The most dangerous is his disposition of disregarding matters before courts. Those who read George Owell's award winning book titled ANIMAL FARM can see a symbiotic relationship between the narration in the book and what is happening in Kaduna State.
Now that Mr. El-rufa'i through his action and pronouncement has demonstrated that he is above the law, what are the options left for those he is leading cum victims? Are the people to obey unabashed whims and caprices of a tyrant in a democracy or resist it using means accepted by the constitution? Is there justice for people to resist anarchy using constitutional means while what they are resisting isn't legal? From all indications, there is no easy way out for the vulnerable and helpless masses. This situation can be liken to a title of a book called The Devil's Alternative by Frederick Forsyth.
For those onlookers on the fence, for those timid cold feet, for those weak souls, and for those with the privilege to speak the truth but prefer not seeing or hearing this evil, there turn is lurking at the corner. Lest they forget lessons of famous poem SPEAK OUT by a priest during the Nazi era in Germany. Let nonchalant not also forget Dante's sermon that says the hottest part of hell is reserve for those who mutes in times of moral crisis. For their good and that of democracy they better join all resistance movements against this evil spreading apocalyptic disaster horizontally and vertically in Kaduna State.
Now is time, I mean time to act against this political madness called EL-RUFAISM.
Jondanfulani@gmail.com
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