*Elrufai: A Reluctant Farewell*

By Mustafa Adamu

Nature and nature's laws lay hid in the night
God said 'Let Newton be!', and all was light.
- *Alexander Pope* (1688-1744)


From 2015 when Malam Nasir Ahmad El-Rufai became the governor of Kaduna State, the above ageless couplet written by the poet Alexander Pope in praise of his contemporary and one of the best scientists and discoverers the world had ever seen, the description seems to me like that of Governor Elrufai. The way Sir Isaac Newton made some breathtaking scientific discoveries, the way Elrufai did administratively in Kaduna.
As the capital of the erstwhile North, Kaduna ought to have been ahead in many areas: infrastructure, education, public service, health and the rest. But unfortunately things were not so. In the build up to the 2015 elections, Elrufai's campaign slogan was: 'Let's make Kaduna State Great Again.'
By the time he gloriously exited the Sir Kashim Ibrahim House and handed over power to his lucky successor Senator Uba Sani this Monday, he had, by all objective parameters, achieved nearly all his set targets.
Kaduna has been consistently fourth in terms of IGR in the country, and first in the North, far above even Kano.
Public service and service delivery in the state has tremendously improved. Human capital development was given priority. Education, especially at the primary and secondary levels, are much better now. Primary and secondary health care had both received due attention throughout the state. Abandoned government offices and properties had been put to proper use. Private investors had been provided with both incentives and the enabling environment to thrive in the state. The examples of just Ollam Feeds and Sahad Stores will suffice. Under the urban renewal projects, Kaduna, Zaria and Kafanchan now bask in newly constructed roads, including tens of dual carriage roads, as well as an additional bridge across the River Kaduna linking Kabala Costain and Barnawa, thereby shortening distances.
When it comes to security, a lot of progress had been made, especially around Birnin Gwari and the perennially volatile southern Kaduna, especially Zangon Kataf, where he took some decisive actions in the last two weeks of his glorious administration.
Maraban Jos which was a great traffic inconvenience for highway users for decades is now free and safe for all. It took Elrufai a single warning to a killer community along Kaduna-Abuja highway to desist or face the wrath of the law. The rest, as they say, is history. For no one dared call his bluff.
Even critics cannot but secretly admire the man's enviable achievements made possible by his knowledge, experience and, yes, his sheer guts and fearlessness, no matter whose ox was gored. (I once told a university don how I would love to have even a percentage of Malam's guts, which borders on aggressiveness and even belligerence. He told me that you don't acquire it, it comes factory--fitted. I had to agree.) That fearlessness had given him an edge over almost all his political opponents, and he left them mute and totally subdued.
Elrufai is also thick-skinned. All the jibes and insults thrown at him all seemed to have no effect on him. In fact, they most likely spurred him to stick to what he believes was good for Kaduna State.
No mortal is perfect. Sacked workers and markets owners who lost their shops still bemoan their plights. This writer had some of his close relatives negatively affected by some of Elrufai's policies, but that cannot overshadow his good intentions and overall achievements.
While deeply appreciating His Excellency and his wonderful team, this is wishing him, nostalgically, all the best in his future endeavours. May the new Malam surpass the achievements of the outgoing one.
@mynd44

El rufai? You choose infrastructure ( if your claims are true) over lives of people?