Kaduna Crisis: Go And Learn From Makarfi ― Hon Magaji tells Govenor Elrufai

A member representing Zagon Kataf/Jaba federal constituency of Kaduna State, Hon. Amos Magaji has lauded the stewardship of former governor of the state, Ahmed Makarfi for his politics of inclusion, saying the incumbent, Nasir El-Rufai has a lot to do in order to unite the northern and southern axis of the state.
Hon. Magaji who disclosed this in a chat with Vanguard also added that agitations in Southern Kaduna are partly fueled by the neglect of the zone in the scheme of things by El-Rufai since he became governor.
“The truth is that Makarfi was very sensitive to the needs of the people and he was not arrogant in his dealing with people.
He listened to people very well. While he was governor, Makarfi discovered that there were some communities without chiefdoms and one of the things he did was the creation of new chiefdoms. The people were very happy.
Many of the roads in Southern Kaduna today that people are still plying were done by Makarfi; so there was inclusion. Southern Kaduna people never felt left out whether they were right or wrong, whether they criticized him or not, Makarfi saw himself as the governor of the entire state. So I don’t think they needed to go and lobby before they got anything,” he said.
Faulting Governor El-Rufai’s governance style, the lawmaker came short of describing him as a sectional leader solely interested in the development of some parts of the state to the detriment of others.
I can’t tell you that there is a road in my local government that has been done in the past years. The only road currently being done in Zagon Kataf was initiated by the past administration. Recently I saw work done in Kachia and I think it is just within Kachia town. To be sincere, I have not seen much development in Southern Kaduna.
He also dismissed El-Rufai’s latest jibe at Southern Kaduna leaders whom he accused of looking for “brown envelopes”; thus fuelling the violent skirmishes that have characterized the zone for years.
Governor El-Rufai did not give details of the people he feels are behind these killings. I don’t know how somebody from Southern Kaduna will now mastermind the killing of his own people. I am not saying people don’t do that but then the same way that the governor identified the people that killed and paid them (in the past), I think he should also identify the people that are killing their brothers and prosecute them if the assertions are right,” he added.