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El-Rufai: How He Played Into Senators' Hands
BY MARTINS OLOJA,
As the nation awaits the outcome of several apologies to the Senate by the FCT Minister, Malam Nasir el-Rufai, two critical factors that shaped the dramatic uncertainty of last week have been revealed to The Guardian.
We checked and confirmed at the weekend that the first factor that shaped the Senate's resolve to soft-pedal on the last day (Wednesday last week) was the revelation of details of the President's first letter to the Senators.
Accordingly, the Senators who had been fully briefed on the import of that President's revelation wanted the issue to be quickly resolved before public perception turns against the Upper House as some of them had learnt the issue was beyond the reported "bad verses" of the embattled Minister.
The President had in his first rapid response to the Senate's resolution that Malam el-Rufai be removed within 48 hours, noted in the second paragraph of the letter dated 31 August 2004: "I note with some concern the minister's explanation which seemed to touch on action and reaction between a distinguished Senator and the Honourable Minister...."
The Guardian inquiries in Abuja revealed that a lot of Senators who thought the President was just on yet another ego trip to blackmail them, in this connection, later found out that the President's covert remark was not an empty threat even as they felt that the loquacious minister went too far in his insult to either a Senator or to the Senate.
The story: The inquisitive law makers confirmed from the brief the Minister had earlier given the President that in January this year, a distinguished Senator
had allegedly visited the honourable minister in his office where he (the Senator) had told the minister that his land reforms that had affected some law makers would consume him(the minister). The minister
had revealed to the President that the Senator in question had added that the federal Legislature in Abuja is constitutionally empowered to make laws for Abuja, since Abuja does not have a Legislature of its own unlike the 36 states. And because of that nexus between them (FCT and federal legislature) the Senator was said to have told the minister 'to perform' by taking good care of the Legislature, lest they (the legislators) would deal with him (the minister).
Besides, the Senators found out that their colleague who visited the minister who once presided over the Senate Committee on FCT had also told the minister to borrow a leaf from his immediate predecessor who
played good politics by the way he allocated lots of plots of land to Senators during the last session of the Senate. During the encounter, it was revealed that the Senator threatened that the minister would be
dealt with if he refused to perform to the Legislature in good time.
The Minister's refusal to perform, it was revealed, was worsened by yet another event that immediately followed the Senator's impromptu visit. This was in
March this year too. What happened in March?
Specifically, the Senators were told through inquiry in the Presidency that el-Rufai had on March 3, 2004 written to the Clerk of the National Assembly complaining about how one of the presiding officers of the National Assembly, who had just vacated a guest house once donated by the FCDA had allegedly carted away so many household items in the guest house in Maitama
Including (8) eight sets of split units of air-conditioners.
The Minister was said to have explained to the President that the Senator and the deputy presiding officer had to vacate the guest house as part of the consequences of the monetisation policy of the federal government. The Senators who bothered to find out from the Presidency were told that coincidentally, exactly ten days after the letter landed the Clerk's office, the Public Accounts Committee of the Senate began the Special Inquiry on the "Payments made to two of the FCT Minister's aides-Ms Aishatu Kolo and Dr. Abdul Mukhtar" as part of the "Report of the Auditor-General
on Accounts of the Federation of Nigeria for the Year Ended 31st December 2001"
The Minister was invited By the Public Accounts Committee on April 20, 2004 to clarify the issues.
Earlier, the Minister had (on May 10, 2004) written to the Senate President Senator Adolphus Wabara to complain about the way the Public Accounts Committee's session was specifically exploited by the Chairman of the Committee "to humiliate" him. But the Minister did not mention anything in this letter to the Senate
President about any encounter with any blackmailer from the Senate in January this year.
But when the President asked the Minister to explain the circumstances leading to the "alleged wrong deployment of language of the Minister of FCT on members of the Senate of the Federal Republic....", the
Minister spilled the beans to the President about the reported carting away of some household items in the Maitama guest house just vacated by a top Senator and the encounter he had with another top Senator in January even as he wanted the president to note that there was a link between his refusal "to perform" as demanded, the alarm over the bastardised guest house and his problem with the Senate.
The Guardian also confirmed from the Presidency that the Minister also sent an addendum to the President
during the crisis that his problem was beyond his "bad verses" to the Senate. He was said to have told the President that two other Senators had also joined the club
of hardliners against him again because of one specific land issue.
The Senators who wanted to know the inside stuff were also told by the President's men that Malam el-Rufai had briefed the President about how some of their colleagues had specific scores to settle
with the Minister, who incidentally had unwittingly played into their hand.
According to the addendum the Minister was said to have told the President, which the Senators later learnt, the two other Senators who were more protestant than the Arch-bishop of Canterbury on the 'el- Rufai-gate' were alleged to have collected about
100 plots each from the Kuruduma Land, an extension in Asokoro where the high and the mighty got allocations without title deeds in the first term of the President.
Both The FCT Minister and the Municipal Area Council Chairman are probing the dubious deals in the new area at the moment. Consequently, two of the most virulent Senators on el-Rufai who were both former Chairmen of Senate Committee on FCT were said to have used their positions as Chairmen of FCT Committee to collect
about 100 plots each from the former authorities in Abuja, which they sold to unsuspecting buyers without title deeds- Certificates of Occupancy (Cof O).
The Senators most of whom have not obtained any plots in Abuja are said to have learnt in the course of the crisis that their two colleagues actually obtained the
Kuruduma plots and el- Rufai's compulsory
re-certification policy would produce some disastrous consequences for the duo if el-Rufai remains in FCT as a Minister.
The consequence we learnt is that because the plots they sold for about one million naira each without title deeds or deeds of assignments and Power of Attorney that always accompany land sales, the two
Senators may have to refund about N100 million since the buyers cannot appear physically before the Recertification panel in Abuja.
That was one other lesson many Senators learnt last week about how some of their colleagues wanted to exploit the 'character flaws' or mistake of the Minister to use the Senate against him (the Minister),
hence the soft landing for both parties in the
dispute.
The Guardian learnt that when a number of Senators began to see the other side to the story, they began to listen to the plea by the Minister who realised that his unbridled tongue has put him into trouble.
The Minister personally visited a number of Senators inside the Apo Legislators' Quarters, which he has also planned to sell as soon as possible.
We also learnt that the Senators most of whom realised later that the 48-hour ultimatum to the President was
unconscionable and rash were later told that the President was not ready to drop the Minister despite his irascible disposition. Reason: The Senators who are very close to the Presidency were told that the
Minister who is also hated by his colleagues in the Federal Executive Council for his perceived 'arrogance' is a key player in the President's Kitchen Cabinet called the "Economic Team", where he has
another portfolio as Head of Public Service Reform.
The Senators who allegedly spied for the Senate on the likely disposition of the President were to report back that the President is aware of the "character
flaws" of the Minister but the President respects and needs him (el-Rufai) for his remarkable commitment to the Reform Agenda of the administration.
It was learnt that, that was why the President who hardly accepts responsibility or apologises for his own action quickly apologised on el-Rufai's behalf the
same day (31 August) the resolution was passed.
The Guardian learnt that the President actually told his allies that the FCT minister is a "necessary evil" in the cabinet because not many members are strategic
planners like the Zaria-born minister.
It was also learnt that the President encouraged the minister who was virtually deserted by his colleagues in the cabinet to do everything to pacify the Senators
without capitalising on why some of them wanted him out. The President's men were said to have told the minister that the "persecution complex" he has been bandying was not necessary, in the circumstances of last week.
The Senate adjourned last Thursday without a definite word on the el-Rufai story. They merely said they were awaiting the President's response to their demand for
his removal. But the senate President praised the minister for his courage to accept his mistake in public. Thereafter, they started considering executive Bills that day (Wednesday lat week).
Meanwhile, the choleric minister travelled to the United Kingdom yesterday.
The Guardian learnt that the Minister's disposition to apologise coincided with the desire of the Senate to dispose quickly of the problem. The Senate last
Thursday passed the Labour Amendment Bill a day after el-Rufai's apology in the Senate Chambers.
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