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Nasir El-Rufai:
The Perception
and The Reality
By Emmanuel Ado
GOVERNOR Nasir Ahmad El-Rufai
of Kaduna state is a classical victim
of the yawning gap between
perception and reality. He furnishes a proof
of the deep gulf between reality and
appearance. Perception, like appearance, is
deceitful, dangerously misleading, and
extremely damaging. Unfortunately, these
are two notorious words that have largely
shaped the reaction of most traducers of El-
Rufai.
El-Rufai’s traducers are always in denial,
even on matters as straightforward as the
quantum of foreign investments that he has
attracted to Kaduna state, and the
improvement of internally generated
revenue, from a paltry N12 billion in 2015
to N50.7 billion by 2021.
The naysayers often
overlook the facts in front of
their noses, and bury their
faces in the sands of
erroneous perception. Their
spurious and laughable
argument, is that due to the
security challenges no
investor will dare invest in
kaduna state. Of course,
nobody can deny the security
challenges many parts of the
country, Kaduna inclusive,
are facing. That they deny
verifiable facts of Kaduna
state’s outstanding success
in attracting foreign
investments, visible even to
blind, is a clear evidence of
the depth of the problem.
The investments include,
but not limited to, the commissioning of
Olams Feeds, Hatchery and Flour
Company, Tomatoes Jos, the Mahrinda
Tractor Plant, and many more.
Unfortunately these investments,
amounting to over 2.8 billion dollars, have
not changed the opinion of hateful
opponents. Again, it’s a case of wrongful
perception standing in the way of selfevident
realities.
So very obviously, the
attack on Governor El-
Rufai bothers on a
perplexing negative
perception, as
opposed to the
reality. For
instance, some of
his rabid haters
will swear by
whatever they
believe in, that he
is a religious
The naysayers
often overlook
the facts in front
of their noses,
and bury their
faces in the sands
of erroneous
perception
•El-Rufai
bigot, based on the continuous falsehoods
dished out by vested interests. Again, the facts
clearly prove otherwise. For
instance, he never knew that
Ibrahim, his late Aide- de-
Camp was a Christian,until
some self righteous
people,angry that he was
surrounded by too many
Christians, brought it to his
attention. But it changed
absolutely nothing,as
Ibrahim remained his ADC,as
Minister and in his first term
as governor of kaduna State.
Same with Peter, a perfect
gentleman that has been his
Personal Assistant and later
deputy chief of staff, for more
than 30 years. There are too
many other Christians around
him, including Altine, the
Director-General of the
Kaduna State Information
Geographical Service, from Adamawa
State, that he dragged out of retirement,to
replicate the success of the Abuja
Geographical Services.
For some more charitable opponents, El-
Rufai’s self-confidence is nothing but sheer
SATURDAY Vanguard, OCTOBER 16, 2021—39
to make these enemies. But his policies
impacted negatively on the so-called
enemies, who resorted to feeding the public
the large doses of negatives, that have
shaped their perceptions of him.
His enemies are either those who have
scores to settle, from his days as the Director
- General of the Bureau of Public Enterprises
(BPE), or as Minister of the Federal Capital
Territory (FCT). El- Rufai’s high crime is
serving with dedication and total
commitment, which unfortunately many
Nigerian public servants lack.
The first group holds El-Rufai solely
responsible for their failure to acquire any
of the juicy privatized enterprises under the
Privatization and Commercial programme
of President Olusegun Obasanjo
administration. While the second set are the
so called “victims” of his unwavering
commitment to the restoration of the Abuja
Master plan, which had been bastardized
beyond recognition.
For nation that needs every hand on deck
to develop, the implication of the concerted
demonization of Nasir El- Rufai, is not only
that competent hands are forced to keep
away from politics, but that charlatans will
continue to run the country in their ugly
image and likeness. There is also an
alarming absence of elite consensus about
the direction the country should head, talk
less of the medley of hard measures required
to make things change for the better. China
is an example of what a determined country
can achieve based on elite consensus. In 40
years, it moved from a poverty-stricken
country to attain first world status. In the
process, they lifted hundreds of millions out
of poverty and made the country the second
largest economy in the world.
Generally, Nigerians lack patience for
the long term plans. They are ever always
in a hurry. Nigerians clamour for
arrogance, a tragic charge, because in
development, but they seem to prefer the
reality, the man is humility personified. So
easy way out. They want omelette, but
many of those who loathe him, do so because
without breaking the eggs.
they have swallowed the lies vigorously
Now, back to Governor Nasir El-Rufai.
pushed out against him, hook, line and
You’d ask, why is it difficult for people who
sinker. The other allegation, very closely tied
celebrated his works in Abuja, to now make
to his alleged arrogance, is that he prides
the necessary connections, and come to the
himself as having a monopoly of knowledge.
realization, that the well-packaged negative
Again it’s an allegation that falls flat, as times
narratives against him, originated from the
without number, he has publicly
dislodged mafia trying to get even with a
acknowledged “copying” some policies
man who has consistently given his all, in
from left, right and center. Being learned,
the service of his motherland? The answer is
he can never claim to be all knowing, since
perception, because people want to believe
only God is.
the worst.
For instance, he publicly acknowledged
El-Rufai’s other political crime was
copying his educational policies from Rauf
persuading then Major-General
Aregbesola, the former governor of Osun
Muhammadu Buhari to come out from
state. While, the public service reforms, have
retirement and contest the 2015 elections,
their root from Singapore, where an efficient
which led to the defeat of President Goodluck
public service made a huge difference. The
Jonathan. Though from the South-South zone,
only difference, is that El- Rufai as a good
the South-East had appropriated him. This is
copycat, painstakingly improves on what he
the fundamental reason El-Rufai is in the bad
copies, and with the benefit of insight, avoids
books of some people from both zones. The
the pitfalls of those before him. Like the
real first crime was giving life to the first
saying goes, you don’t have to reinvent the
ever successful merger of political parties,
wheel.
which led to the defeat of an incumbent
Clearly, El-Rufai has made enemies, very
government. If he didn’t, he wouldn’t be a
powerful ones, but all in the course of his
victim of an organized campaign of
public service. And it wasn’t as if he set out
calumny.
First Mental Health Fellowship births in Nigeria
By Prisca Sam-Duru
To commemorate this year’s World
Mental Health Day held globally
on October 10, 2021, Kunle
Adewale, a Senior Atlantic Fellow for
Equity in Brain Health at the University
of California San Francisco, launched the
first-ever Mental Health Fellowship in
Nigeria.
Themed “Raising Community
Champions: The Roles of Youth in Mental
Health Advocacy, Education and
Engagement”, the inauguration of the
Fellowship held virtually on October 10,
2021, by the Mandela Washington Fellow,
Kunle Adewale and his team of youths.
Welcoming the over one hundred
participants to the health event, Adewale
described the Mental Health Fellowship
as an initiative driven by young people
for young people and the next generation.
The program he noted, “Aims to provide
an incredible network and professional
development opportunities for young
people where they can be inspired and
inspire one another through peer
mentoring and collective community
projects on mental health education,
advocacy and engagements.”
Adewale added that “Through the
Mental Health Fellowship, we aspire to
amplify the voices of the youths at local,
national, and global arena; doing this
through collaboration with the relevant
government agencies, NGOs, faith-based
organizations, civil societies, Diplomatic
Missions among many others”.
In her opening remarks, Deputy
Public Affairs Officer, U.S.
Consulate Lagos, Jennifer Foltz,
who commended the founder of
Mental Health Fellowship,
Nigeria, Kunle Adewale for his
work so far, encouraged him to
keep inspiring and creating an
impact in Nigerian society.
Her words: “Kunle is a 2015
Mandela Washington fellowship
alumnus and one of the most
active alumni. This year alone, he
has launched no less than three
different projects. Originally an
artist, he has made a far-reaching
foray into the field of medicine
and has made a tremendous
impact with all of his initiatives.”
She further stated that the fellowship
is directly supporting one of the aims of
the U.S. Mission which is good health for
the population, while applauding
Adewale for being an excellent alumnus
who is contributing positively to Nigerian
society.
In her detailed and inspiring Keynote
Speech, Dr. Maymunah Kadiri, the
Leading and Vital Voice for Mental
Health in Africa/Consultant
Neuropsychiatrist and Psychotherapist,
disclosed that according to the World
Health Organization, half of the mental
health illnesses commence before the age
of 14, and two-thirds, before the age of 24.
“Even though we have a global pandemic,
Founder of the Mental Health Fellowship,
Nigeria, Kunle Adewale (sitting), with some
members of the Fellowship during the project
launch yesterday.
increase in mental health issues is a
pandemic within the pandemic”, she
stated.
She highlighted the sad fact that “75-
90% of people in low and middle-income
countries are unable to access mental
health services at all, and access in highincome
countries isn’t any better.”
Stigma is a factor that affects the mental
health of people with mental health
challenges and it also affects their
educational opportunities, current, and
future earnings, job prospects as well as
their family and loved
ones.”
Dr Kadiri explained that
the 2021 Mental Health Day
theme- ‘Mental Health In An
Unequal World’, serves to
help focus on the issues that
perpetuate mental health
inequalities locally and
globally, stressing that this
is where the role of youths
comes in since they are the
most affected population.
“The vibrancy and the
resilience of the youths will
enable them to take on
mental health problems in
the society”, she said.
Highlights of the event
which was anchored by members of the
fellowship; Franca Ebomah and Esther
Ehindero, included launch of a Creativity
Challenge via the social media to create
awareness in Nigeria. Participants during
the competition, explored different art
forms such as drawing, painting, mixed
media, Spoken Word Poetry, Documentary
and Short film. Nineteen-year-old Miss
Oluwapelumi Adenowo, an
undergraduate student of Physiology,
Olabisi Onabanjo University, who
emerged winner, received a total sum of
100,000 naira cash and gifts. The event
also featured a panel discussion on
‘Mental Health In An Unequal World’,
featuring mental health experts as
panellists.