Vanguard (Lagos)

Nigeria: El-Rufai to Jonathan - Quit If You Can't Solve Nigeria's Problems

Photo: vanguard
Nigeria's Boko Haram cartoon.

Abuja — As the spate of violence escalates, particularly in the North, former Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Mallam Nasir el-Rufai, has asked President Goodluck Jonathan to quit if he could not solve the growing security threats to lives and property in the country.

In an exclusive interview with Vanguard yesterday, el-Rufai said it was indefensible for the government to allow innocent souls to be slaughtered daily without any response from the administration. El-Rufai spoke against the backdrop of Chief Edwin Clark's assertion that northern leaders were not doing enough to curtail the Boko Haram sect, apparently to bring down the administration.

While dismissing Clark's allegation as untenable, the former minister warned the elder statesman to desist from making inflammatory and unverified statements capable of exposing him to ridicule instead of applause that he deserves at his age.

El-Rufai also asked the former federal information commissioner to desist from insulting northern leaders at the slightest opportunity.

According to him, Jonathan has already made it clear to Nigerians and the international community that the gale of bombings in the land was beyond the capability of his administration to handle, a situation, he described as unfortunate. He stated that other Nigerian heads of state had at different times and periods been confronted with serious challenges and they deployed appropriate state apparatus to deal with them without resorting to wrong quarters and the ordinary citizens for help. "Why is it that only President Jonathan cannot solve Nigeria's security problem? el-Rufai asked.

"If he cannot do the job for which he was elected to do, he should consider going home. No president has ever sought the help of the ordinary people in tackling security problems in this country.

"The protection of lives and property of the citizens is the basis of any government in power and if the leadership has failed woefully to deploy the resources and information at its disposal to enforce coercive power for the benefit of the society, then it had no reason to stay on," he stated.

He said the current situation in the country had made many Nigerians to be worried about the future of the country, warning that if urgent steps were not taken to reverse the dangerous trend, the country could be plunged into a deeper crisis.

On the controversy over the implementation of the budget, the former minister maintained that if the budget had worked, it would have brought some relief to the ordinary citizens who had almost been choked by the economic stagnation in the country. "Yes, all of us would have seen the results if the budget had been well implemented. A good economic system shows in the quality of lives of the people and does not end on the pages of newspapers," he added. The former minister said the finance minister alone cannot change the current gloomy economic outlook in the country, as a tree cannot make a forest.

On the allegations that he was making noise preparatory to contesting the presidential election in 2015, he cautioned those making the claims to wait for 2015, pointing out however, that he was qualified to do so if he wanted.

  • Comment (8)

Copyright © 2012 Vanguard. All rights reserved. Distributed by AllAfrica Global Media (allAfrica.com). To contact the copyright holder directly for corrections — or for permission to republish or make other authorized use of this material, click here.

AllAfrica aggregates and indexes content from over 130 African news organizations, plus more than 200 other sources, who are responsible for their own reporting and views. Articles and commentaries that identify allAfrica.com as the publisher are produced or commissioned by AllAfrica.

Comments Post a comment

  • greatlakesUSA
    Aug 8 2012, 13:20

    Mallam Nasir el-Rufai should shot up his Filthy mouth. He is part of the problem.

  • Nwagwu Olive
    Aug 8 2012, 17:18

    Most voices we hear today are those of leaders who have hands in the Nation's crises. Elsewhere, they're bunch of social misfits and political deadwoods . But we 're talking about Nigeria where looters and rouges parade themselves as national leaders. El Rufai may have at one time or another been part of the overly corrupt and politicalyy responsible for ongoing carises, he has made a call we think has merit to deal with the nations quagmire of the present . In a Nation where such names as IBB , OBJ and the rest unholly leaders with unacceptable record of leadership failure are being floated here and there to come to solve current crises most of which has its origin from their lack of vision and culpable failure, it is only fair to think that El Rufai must have hit the correct cord . IBB have not told us what and how the vetran journalist, Dele Giwa died from explosion while happily trying to open his happy percel from the presidential office. He has not also find it a call to duty to return most of the nations billions hidden away in Banks and Finacial houses through Europe and the Money laundering globe even at his current age . OBJ swore on oath during his taking the mantle to Nigerian Presidency to lead like Mandela, Mandela left South African leadership with lasting memory and diginity to the black man . OBJ left Nigerian leadership with private jet and broken nation . His family , including his daughter is myred with corrutpion and dirty petroleum business in the country . What good will such leadership add to the Nations future ? It seem like those who have constituted themselves to saviors of Nigeria are dirtier than the devil they can hardly look beyond their types. that makes the Nation captive to these criminals who are sponsors of all that is wrong to our dear Nation . They're constanly in denial to admit the wrong Laedrship and instead will do all to divert popular and social desent by invoking ethnic and tribal reason to confuse innocent citizens .

  • ibdon4u
    Aug 9 2012, 06:21

    no doubt on El-rufai's statement this is beause Gudluck was elected 2 catter d need of the nigerian citizens, failure to this lead 2 his impeachment. So ebele tek not if u no fit handle Nigerian in security challenge then go home becose u r not capable n compitence on ur duty. N 2 el-rufai that's a nice statement keep it up.

  • dougmel@arcor.de
    Aug 9 2012, 07:20

    That El-Rufia should join the Boko Haram in demanding that our President should resign is an act of treason. His call goes a long way to buttress the fact that the Hausa/Fulani terrorists are indeed being sponsored by the Northern Leaders.Why blame the President? The Boko Haram members are Hausa/Fulani muslims being used by the Northern Oligarchys to make the nation ungovernable for our President. The NSA,Mallam Sambo Dazuki claims that he has the telephone numbers of the leaders of Boko Haram.In order words, the group is no longer faceless. Sheikh Dahiru Usman Bauchi claims to have contacts with memmbers of the Hausa/Fulani terrorists and has even carried a letter to them from the Vice President. All those facts go to show how deep the Northern Leaders are involved in creating inscurity and in sponsoring mass murder of innocent Nigerians. If iindeed Mallam El-Rufia were altruistic about his concern over the state of security in our nation,he should direct his accusing finger to himself and his Hausa/Fulani folks.The Hausa/Fulani Leaders should call their peons to order and put an end to the ongoing waste of innocent human lives.Enough is enough.

  • think123
    Aug 9 2012, 10:24

    El Rufai...Just hit the nail on the head, the attempt of the northern leaders is to Frustrate this administration and come back to power, That is why Abiola was denied of power and the same is happening now. El Rufai continue with all what you are doing but remember that God is greater than all of you put together

See All Comments

InFocus

Nigerian President Under Fire as Insecurity Persists

picture

As the spate of violence escalates, eminent Nigerians are calling for the president to come up with lasting solutions or resign. Read more »