El-Rufai betrayed public trust, turned people’s hope to sorrow – Rev. Hayab

By Sarafina Christopher

Rev. John Joseph Hayab, the Chairman, Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) in the 19 Northern states and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) said former governor of Kaduna state Nasir El-Rufai betrayed public trust, turning the hopes of many to sorrow and plunging the state into grief by mismanaging conflicts during his time in office, from 2015 to 2023.

Hayab also accused El-Rufai of diverting huge loans to sectional projects that excluded many communities.

Speaking as a guest on TVC News Politics Tonight, the CAN leader said unlike El-Rufai, former Governors Ahmed Makarfi, Namadi Sambo, the late Patrick Yakowa, and Ramalan Yero, all made deliberate and diligent efforts to promote unity and peace in the state.

Hayab was responding to the former governor’s recent controversial statements that he had no regrets over his actions while in office for eight years.

The CAN chairman described such comments as not only “insensitive” but “heartless”.

Hayab affirmed that in spite of the killing of fathers, mothers, friends, and relatives, Southern Kaduna communities were left to conduct mass burials of 20, 30, or even 40 people at a time under El-Rufai’s watch.

“For him to still say he has no regrets shows he governed without conscience and carried out those actions deliberately,” Hayab stressed.

He also took issue with El-Rufai’s repeated attempts to downplay the population of Southern Kaduna, saying it is part of a long-standing agenda to justify a Muslim-Muslim ticket in the state.

He recalled that during the 2006 census, the population of the region was so overwhelming that the Kaduna Shariah Committee even threatened legal action against the National Population Commission before eventually accepting the figures as genuine.

According to him, Southern Kaduna with its eight local government areas accounts for more than 35 per cent of Kaduna State’s population, and when Kajuru, Chikun, and Kaduna South are added, the figure will go beyond 50 per cent of the state’s population.

He maintained that contrary to El-Rufai’s narrative, the reality on ground demonstrates that the region’s numbers are significant and cannot be dismissed.

Hayab further condemned the former governor’s urban renewal programme, alleging that it was funded with massive loans and was implemented without recourse to equity and fairness as only select areas of the state benefited.

“He collected huge loans to develop one region, leaving Christian communities in Kaduna metropolis abandoned.

“Then he turns around to say he had no regrets? That is not the hallmark of a leader with conscience,” he said.

He disclosed that he was one of those who promoted El-Rufai ahead of the 2015 governorship election, because he believed at the time that El-Rufai could deliver owing to his exposure.

He added that he was disappointed when he realised later on that the former governor was intolerant and unwilling to listen.

Hayab recalled confronting the former governor many times on issues, including over his claim that Southern Kaduna did not vote for him during the election, to which El-Rufai once apologised.

“El-Rufai does not have grace in speech. He lacked maturity as a leader and even insulted the North by saying there are no elders.

“A true elder unites people. A true elder does not divide people,” Hayab added.

The cleric concluded that El-Rufai’s recent outbursts are driven by bitterness over the peace currently being enjoyed in Kaduna state, which stands in contrast to the hostility that defined his time in office.

“He is angry because under the present administration led by Sen. Uba Sani, Kaduna state is no longer burying people daily as it used to be under his administration. That is why he is coming out with unguarded statements capable of stirring fresh problems for the state,” Hayab maintained.

(NAN)