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The El-Rufai problem
I DO not quite share the view of those who have been condemning the Senate (now, in fact, the National Assembly) for insisting that Nasir el-Rufai should be relieved of his post as Minister of the Federal Capital Territory. There is no doubt, a clear and present danger in the Senate, supposedly peopled by distinguished men and women, behaving like a trade union and going on strike over a disagreement with a public official. If the lawmakers do this too often, they could hold the entire state to ransom, create gridlock and subvert the democratic process. But what is more important in the present face-off between the Senate and El-Rufai lies in the sub-text of the Senate's action. First, the Wabara-led Senate for the first time since it assumed office, is trying to assert its independence. This is a Senate which the general public had expected would improve upon the records of the 1999-2003 set of Senators but which established itself rather early as an indolent assembly of men and women who are far from being distinguished.
The Wabara-led Senate conducted itself as a weak and irresponsible extension of the Presidency. And the Presidency crooned about its cordial relations with the legislature. By issuing an ultimatum to President Obasanjo to sack one of his Ministers, the Senate has finally bestirred itself. It has exploded the subsisting myth about cordial relations with the Executive. What is on grand display therefore, is the complete lack of a culture of intra-governmental relations in Abuja. In other countries, a scandal of this nature would have been properly mediated, far away from the embarrassing glare of the public. We should all feel embarrassed that the Senate had to be shut down for 48 hours all because of one Nigerian. But would the Senate find the spine to insist on its independence
The second point to be made is that the Senate is obviously making a political statement. As politicians and stakeholders in the Nigerian political system, they must have known that President Obasanjo's basic reaction would be to protect his Minister and defend his powers to hire and fire a Minister under Section 147 of the Constitution. He was bound to treat the Senate's demand merely as a piece of advice, which he is not obliged to accept. The President has since sent an apology to the Senate on behalf of El-Rufai, and he has instructed the problematic Minister not to utter a word until he takes care of the mess.
The Senate has promptly rejected the President's apology. I think this is in order. It is Nasir El-Rufai who has offended the Senators, not the President. It is El-Rufai who should apologise. And he should not do so on the pages of newspapers, he should do so on the floor of the Senate. The only kind of language that the likes of Nasir, with a holier-than-thou, nose-in-the sky, my-Godfather-is-bigger than yours type of attitude can understand is that of humiliation. No one can blame the Senators for playing politics.
May I add that many of the commentators on the El-Rufai problem have been focussing on the histrionics of the Senate's gesture, and not much is being said about the main substance of the controversy that has developed. The Senate is making two critical claims and asking El-Rufai to provide explanations. They are alleging that the auditors of BPE accounts have discovered "improper financial dealings" committed by the El-Rufai-led management when he was in charge of the BPE. The Senators, as representatives of the Nigerian people want El-Rufai to respond to the auditor's queries. There are figures to back up the auditor's report. Surely, it is clearly within the territory of the Senate to ask questions about how public funds were managed. In addition, the Senate has declared that Nasir El-Rufai employed two assistants as FCT Minister without due process, and placed them on dollar salaries, without approval up to about N19 million per month (and these assistants have no significant experience to justify their jumbo pay).
The Senate wants El-Rufai to explain why he would subvert due process, and run the FCT Ministry like a personal estate. The Senate insists that by virtue of Section 299 of the Constitution, it has powers to oversee what goes on in the Federal Capital Territory. These are specific queries. But rather than defend his integrity, and offer an intelligent explanation, and show due respect for the Senate as an institution, El-Rufai resorted to blackmail. He was quoted as having referred to the Senators as fools, and that silence is the best answer for them. He then dropped the President's name, something that has become standard practice with him to the effect that anything he does has the President's approval.
These are the issues that should interest President Obasanjo, and not seeking to protect El-Rufai. Did the President approve the mismanagement of BPE funds
He says the Senators are coming after him, like a pack of witch-hunters because they bear him a grudge for accusing them earlier in the year of asking him as a Ministerial nominee for bribe. This kind of response is so cheap it makes no sense whatsoever. If El-Rufai wants to stand on a higher moral ground, let him respond to the BPE audited accounts and the query about his two assistants! He says the Senators are fools. He is properly entitled to his opinion. And there are probably many Nigerians who share that view. But it is not in the place of a Federal Minister to say so or denigrate the institution of the Senate. Has Nasir ever heard of the word decorum
He once openly quarrelled with former Aviation Minister, Kema Chikwe. Another Minister, Mobolaji Osomo in charge of housing, recently found cause to give him the length of her tongue over the revocation of Certificates of Occupancy in Abuja. The other day, former Vice-President Alex Ekwueme also had to advise that El-Rufai should be called to order. As FCT Minister, his actions (demolition of illegal structures, closure of hotels, revocation of Cs of O etc) have acquired more enemies for this government than any other thing done in the last five years. On the surface, some of these actions may seem reasonable, but on closer scrutiny, El-Rufai's methods are hobbled by their in-built contradictions. In addition to this is his penchant for treating others shabbily, and going about haughtily dropping names!
He obviously fancies himself as President Obasanjo's alter ego. And the President is probably happy that he has a disciple. After all, El-Rufai is the only man in government who goes about referring to the President, using him to intimidate everyone else. The long and short of all this is that El-Rufai should stop carrying on with a persecution complex; he needs to do some soul-searching. I want to recommend for his reading pleasure two uncomplicated plays about life " Henrik Ibsen's An Enemy of the People and Trevor Rhone's School's Out. He will find that the protagonists in both plays are very much like him.
But what he would learn in the end, is that a whistle-blower, a man who stands for the truth, who claims to be better than everyone else, must be above board like Ceasar's wife. His garment must be unblemished and as white as snow. His words, like that of an incorruptible judge, must carry the full-weight of their intent. And his actions must not advertise malice, or a search for personal advantage over others. The man who stands alone for truth in society heaps upon his own shoulders a heavy moral and social burden. My verdict is that El-Rufai is ill-prepared for the role he seeks to play. This is why more often than not, he runs into trouble. The answer lies within him, in his own process of self-discovery.
But all said, I shall not join the Senate in writing him off. I believe that he has the capacity to learn from his present mistakes, develop the skills of tact, diplomacy and public communication, and serve his country with greater distinction. He has passion, drive, commitment and energy. He is also enormously self-motivated. And I can swear that he means well for Nigeria. The President should not sack him just because the Senate has said so. If the Senators are allowed to exercise such powers, they are bound to abuse it. Besides, the Senate is beginning to appear somewhat confused.
For example, Senator Idris Kuta has been quoted as saying that "if he (the President) does not fire el-Rufai, this Senate will not look at the Labour Bill at all". This is precisely the reason why President Obasanjo wrote about blackmail in his apology letter. The truth is that there is no connection between the El-Rufai problem, and the labour bill, which is an obnoxious piece of legislation which a self-respecting legislature should throw out. El-Rufai's sack cannot be a condition for entertaining the Labour Bill.
It remains for President Obasanjo to further realise that El-Rufai has become a liability to his government. This is the import of the Senate's protest. This government already has too many liabilities, it cannot afford to add El-Rufai to its burden. As soon as there is a cabinet reshuffle, El-Rufai should be moved to a less sensitive position where he cannot do damage to the nation. For example, he can be appointed a Special Adviser, Media Affairs. In that position, he can defend the President in the media and if he so wishes, he can call journalists idiots, madmen, thieves and animals.
We, journalists, are used to being abused. We would not stop doing our work. In fact, we would feel more inspired. Or El-Rufai could be made Special Assistant (Special Duties). In that position, he can live out his dream as Obasanjo's alter ego. He can be sent on special errands such as supervising the payment of the President's children's school fees, or overseeing monthly financial allocations to his numerous wives. And if there is any problem in Owu, El-Rufai, who did his National Youth Service in Abeokuta, can be sent to knock some sense into an errant warrant chief!
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