By John Danfulani
“Nasir’s penchant for reputation damaging is almost pathological. Why does he do it? He is brilliant and smart. …..I appreciated his brilliance and acknowledged his weaknesses; the worst being his inability to be loyal to any person or issue for long….
“I believe he can still be used for public service under guidance, making allowance for ‘his petite size and his elephantine brain’
“He was described as a malicious liar. He was more than that; he is a pathological purveyor of untruths and half truths with no regards to integrity ……..” My Watch Vol 2 page 110 by Olusegun Obasanjo, OBJ
When I branded majors claims of Mr. El-rufa’i’s interview of 6th April 2016 on SUNRISE DAILY of Channels Television uncooked lies, I got resistance from enemies of the truth and clear conscience. Conscious of his antecedence and deliberate penchant to rewrite history of events, I wrote emails to the management of Channels Television drawing their attentions to his unfounded statements. And expressed desire to appear on a fresh programme of SUNRISE DAILY to disinfect uniformed minds of his phantom claims. For reasons bordering treachery, disdain for the people of Southern Kaduna, and hate for Christians of Kaduna State, Channels Television tuned deaf ears to my request. When it was clear their conscience had been desecrated by mischief and materialism, I pounded them through an article titled “CHANNELS TV, EL-RUFA’i, AND IRRESPONSIBLE JOURNALISM IN NIGERIA”. After reading the article, Channels Television wrote a short mail alleging I wasn’t patient with them.
For the benefit of those who missed that SUNRISE DAILY chat, let me recap Mr. El-rufa’i’s claims. He piqued: 1) that one LGA in Kaduna State has more gold than South Africa; 2) that Christians constitutes 30% while Muslims 70% of the state population; 3) that over 800 people were killed in 2011 post elections violence and most of the killings took place in Southern Kaduna; 4) that Southern Kaduna is a route of international movement of cattle, and 5) that kith and kins Fulanis killed in Southern while on transit were responsible for semi-genocide that occurred in Southern Kaduna between 2013 to 2015.
One must not be a Ph.D holder to know that all the afore-enumerated claims were blatant lies that were never pillared on facts. The only body charged with head count in Nigeria (National Population Commission) can’t even state the number of Christians and Muslims in the country because their last exercise didn’t inquire peoples religion. No single history book holds that Southern Kaduna is a route of international movement of castles. Claims of persons affected by 2011 post elections crisis forwarded to a commission of inquiry set up by Kaduna State didn’t state that over 800 people were killed, let alone stating that most of the killings occurred in Southern Kaduna. No single report showing that the killings of innocent people of Southern Kaduna between 2013 to 2015 were perpetrated by brothers of Fulanis he alleged were caught-up in the post 2011 elections crisis in Kaduna.
While pressing for correction of these mischievous notions, party urchins and men in government politicized our effort. They unabashedly hated conspiracy theories, just to denigrate us, cast doubt in our claims, and divert attention of the public from the crux of the matter. Most of these senseless tantrums and bunkum balderdash came from “Southern Kaduna people” serving in the Government of Mr. El-rufa’i and sheepish APC followers.
Barely one month after Mr. El-rufa’i’s mother of all lies and treachery, a research by AFRICA CHECK a project of AFP titled “NO DATA SHOWS KADUNA HAS MORE GOLD THAN SOUTH AFRICA” vindicated us. The report stated that Spokesman of Minister of Minerals Resources Mr. Yinka Oyebode expressed lack of knowledge on the quantum of gold deposit in Nigeria. The only official report of Gold deposit in Nigeria in 2010 placed the country’s deposit at 6 tonnes. As at 2014 report shows that South Africa’s gold was 152 tonnes and a reserve of 6000 tonnes. South Africa is third in the world- with Russia in the first position and Australia following them in a distant second position.
The report said “Africa Check sought to get hold of spokesman Samuel Aruwan to ask for the data Mr. El-Rufai had based his claim on, but Mr. Aruwan neither took calls nor responded to text messages. Eventually, we dialled from a UK-based number and then Mr. Aruwan personally called back after missing the call. But he hung up immediately on hearing the reason for the call”. All those living in Kaduna and Nigeria knew that Mr. Samuel Aruwan has been all over defending his principal’s elitist and anti-peoples policies since May of 2015. Why did he declined clarifying this monumental fraudulent claim that has caught the attention of the world? If it were some local calls from mischievous pressmen and news outlets he can manipulate, he would have been bold to justify his principal’s untruth. People like Mr. Samuel Aruwan can perform where facts, logic and sincerity are absent. His (and their) best is seen when issues up for discourse are cocooned in sentiment, hero-worshipping, and bare face lies.
With time, Mr. Aruwan and all APC’s urchin from Southern Kaduna will reconcile themselves with the fact that our body polity and political consciousness has soared so high that people can no longer be covered with a hole ridden basket. And Southern Kaduna people can no longer be bartered for dogs or lost at card of the slave masters. Their constant refusal to engage opponents of their “accidental regime” on issues and slipping into guttural talkism is not resonating with common sense. We shall not only remember the attempt of Mr. El-rufa’i to paint Southern Kaduna people black but shall store in our memory box Mr. Aruwan and others supporting their master’s mischievous cum denigrative scheme.
To terrible news stations like Channels Television and their comrade in desecrating the pen’s profession, history will hold them responsible for abetting falsehood and insincere leaders whose mission isn’t providing productive, effective and sensitive leadership in Nigeria. All the patronage they are getting from politicians and governments and throwing their professional ethics to the gods will boomerang because victory of evil over good doesn’t last. The Holy Bible said no weapon fashioned against His people shall prosper (we are God’s people).
Dr. Danfulani can be reached through his email: [email protected]
