-Blank NEWS Online (NIGERIA) –By Austen AKHAGBEME:
IT has become very obvious that Mallam Nasir El-Rufai, the diminutive governor of Kaduna state, do not know how to choose his fights.
When he’s not up ‘in arms’ against his Southern Kaduna people, or bragging about his defiance against the rampaging bandits by refusing to pay ransom even though he is without a solution in sight, he will be in a hot chase of ” ghost” workers everywhere.
Where arrogance of governance holds sway, the people’s goodwill dissipates and takes the backdoor. This is the story of Mallam El’ Rufai of Kaduna State.
His audacious but ill- informed move to declare the leadership of the Nigerian Labour Congress and the TUC wanted and a ‘price tag’ placed on them speaks volumes of a confused Emperor overstepping his boundaries.
Which government, in her sanity, will sack 7000 workers and threatened to show many more others the door all in the name of cleansing the system? Whatever good intention this Quantity Surveyor may have, his lack of appeal to peoples sensibilities have make mockery of his declared war against underdevelopment in his embattled state.
The governor, only, cannot be right all the time while the impoverished civil servants, nurses, parents of kidnapped students, victims of Fulani herdsmen’s mayhem and university lecturers, wrong.
While we call on Labour to trend softly and take advantage of any opened window for negotiation so as not to prolong the suffering of the already victimized populace, the Emperor must listen to the loud voice of reason and come down from his high throne to dialogue with his people. Kaduna people are already being attacked from all flanks by the daredevil herdsmen and bandits. They cannot afford another official “attack” from within by the same leadership voted to protect them.
It is not every time we win some battles. Sometimes, you let others win while preparing for the next one. This roforofo fights all the time is putting Kaduna state on the spotlight for the wrong reason. The Governor may not win this battle; let him put his sword back in its plowshare.
- Austen AKHAGBEME is a Columnist with Blank NEWS Online
