Gov. El-Rufai Bows To Defiant Beggars, They Seemed To Have Returned To The Streets

Vanguard Newspaper is reporting that the courage of Mallam Nasir El Rufai, Kaduna State governor, to challenge powerful people and institution into a “fight” or in defence of issues is well known. He fought everyone that crossed his path, including former President Olusegun Obasanjo, President Muhammadu Buhari (at one time), former VP Abubakar Atiku; the Senate and now the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation, NNPC. He has sworn to fight the NNPC “until it dies”.

But the downtrodden of Kaduna State, the most disadvantaged – beggars – have engaged him in a nerve cracking battle. And they broke him after what can be likened to an eyeball-to-eyeball fight.

After the Zaria bombings, El-Rufai placed a ban on begging and hawking in Kaduna State. He warned beggars to stay away from the streets, saying they, sometimes, innocently, act as courier of bombs for terrorists to attack crowded places. He directed Kaduna State’s relevant agencies to ensure strict adherence to the order. Everyone feared El Rufai, so the order was complied with in the first two days or so.

Last week, they were everywhere on the streets in Zaria, Saminaka, Kafanchan and in and around most of the mosques and the streets of Kaduna metropolis.

It was hard to believe that there was a government order banning them. And El Rufai did not flex muscles with them this time.

To indicate his surrender, he singled them out for mentioning in his last Wednesday broadcast to the people of the state.

The broadcast was an outpouring of bile on the immediate past government over alleged squandering of the resources of the state.

His message to a group he kept referring to as a “minority” was also very discomforting, telling them they were in for hard times. He then banned the sponsoring of pilgrimage to Saudi Arabia and Israel, saying N1.7 billion of Kaduna State money was spent on the pilgrimages without impact.