The Kaduna state governor Nasiru El-Rufai has come out to reveal that all his activities and programmes in Kaduna state are the ideas of Rauf Aregbesola. The governor revealed this during the virtual colloquium put together in honour of Rauf Aregbesola to celebrate his 60th birthday.
“The basis of my friendship and relationship with Rauf is because l found out that he is a socialist with a good heart,” I got closer with him when l went to monitor his re-election in 2014 and saw quality school buildings, busy youths on roads sweeping and constructing drainage. I asked him and he said they were on a N10,000 stipend.
“What many haven’t said is that Osun has the lowest crime rate in the country apart from its low unemployment and low poverty rates. The state became the safest in the country with Rauf as governor. “His passion and concern about the fate of the vulnerable is legendary. “This was a governor that had long distributed ICT tablets to public schools in his state before some of us started struggling to replicate the same in our various states.
“He started the free school feeding programme for public school students with huge value chains of cooks and sellers of farm produce which l copied for Kaduna state students. “I had to send officials from Kaduna to under-study his style and system of governance. And l spent some time with him for tutorials. I am not ashamed to copy when I see something that is good.
“In fact, I am shameless when it comes to learning. These days, you don’t need to reinvent the wheel. There’s no new idea. If something has worked somewhere, there’s nothing shameful in borrowing and replicating it. El-Rufai shared during his speech.
Other panelists at the colloquium included Chairman of Citibank Yemi Cardoso, CEO of Lotus Capital Limited Hajara Adeola, Country Director of DAI and development economist Joe Abah, a member of the president’s economic advisory council and CEO of Financial Derivatives Ltd Bismarck Rewane, Statistician General of the Federation Yemi Kale and Governor of Kebbi State Abubakar Bagudu.
In his remarks, Aregbesola commended the technical team who put the virtual conference together and the panelists. “This is the new normal and this conference is proof that we don’t have to gather in one hall where we are struggling to hear ourselves. “Buhari is always encouraging and motivating me,” Aregbesola said. “Nigerians should keep supporting our president. Imagine what would have happened to us during this COVID-19 era if the president wasn’t firm with his local rice policy.” “The hero of what I have done and become today is Bola Ahmed Tinubu. He takes all the glory apart from God.
Photo Credit: Getty
