I have one request to make and Allah is my helper. Any attack on Nasir el Rufai or on Nuhu Ribadu is an attack on me. Nasir is to my mind is one of the greatest and most patriotic Nigerians to have served in public office and he is by far the best FCT minister we have ever had. Like all of us he is not perfect.
In my AIT interview I said I agreed with 90% of what he said a day before our interview and the two bits I didn’t agree with I stated: I don’t agree that there is no subsidy and I believe Nasir was quoting contributions from trusted experts which have been flying around recently including Prof Tam David West.
And we have debated this issue of accounting and economic concepts in this forum. I also do not agree that it is easy in the short-term to have massive fiscal retrenchment without a huge political backlash-indeed the fuel subsidy is one such case and retrenchment for instance would also bring people out.
But Nasir is one person for whom I have always had the highest level of personal respect. His integrity is beyond reproach-of course, people will say anything but after years of trying no one is yet able to show any evidence backing up allegations. Intellectually, I am yet to know anyone who can match him and this has been the case since the 1970s. Femi Fani-Kayode has written in Nasir’s defence but these are not Nasir’s words and if you knew Femi well you would not be surprised or bothered by his peculiar choice of language. I have seen Femi transit from a rabid ethnic chauvinist and christian fanatic who thought Obasanjo was a stooge of the backward Muslim north, to a minister in Obasanjo’s cabinet preaching national unity, and now to some freelance activist and public commentator.
This is just a stage he is going through but I like to think he means well. When AIT requested me to speak they never said it was to respond to Nasir and when we started and they played their clip we told them we didn’t want to personalise this. Nasir and I were friends and brothers as teenagers. We have remained friends and brothers and will remain
friends after office.
We don’t have to agree 100%. He also understands that so long as I am in government I have 100% loyalty to the president. If I feel I cannot be loyal I should step down. This does not mean supporting every policy but it means standing up to play my part in doing what is good for the economy.
I, therefore, request please that no one defending me should attack his person. And only those who don’t know Nasir will even think I am his intellectual match- he is just exceptional in his brilliance.
Via www.nationalaccordnewespaper.com
49 comments:
Worthy of note is what Lamido said:
"We don’t have to agree 100%. He also understands that so long as I am in government I have 100% loyalty to the president. If I feel I cannot be loyal I should step down. "
In other words, he supports govt's policies even if its wrong ('sometimes' as he might call it) cos he does not wish/want to step down!
loyalty to corrupt governance at the expense of the masses! chei!
May God help us all in this country!
wow, very interesting.
I swear, i love educated northerners, they are by far the most honest people we have in this country. Niger-Delta people on the other hand are dull, violent, and steal money like there's no tomorrow.
the above subject aside, i always thot nuhu, el rufai and sanusi look alike.....
Wow!...from the beginning to the end,i was totally transfixed!...i just could not wonder what kind of man can commend and recommend the total intellect of another when the two are opponents....Kudos to Sanusi....he is a great man in hus humility by this....as for Nigeria?...God help us!
I sure love them three guys. Nothing do una Insha Allah. Much respect. Twale!
@ ibo boy i totally agree with you . @ SLS ------ love you lots --- this is being true to yourself i respect you frankness, truthfullness and brotherly love , just tell nasir to be aware of fani boy ---- who has drowned in the murky waters of politics and trying to hang on to the last bit of the straw to save him , irrespective of haters i doff my hat .
He has said it his loyalty is to the president cos he is there on appointment if he objects to the policies of the president he might as well resign what about the people that are "elected" where do their loyalties lie, with GEJ or with the electorate. Na wah
Truth be told as an Igbo man these three ie El-Rufai, Sanusi Lamido & Nuhu Ribadu are among some of the educated, brilliant & decent people from the north. My opinion.
Very well said Lamido. We can see clearly your personal position on fuel subsidy as well as your political position.
His loyalty is to d President because dats where he feeds from.How can u be loyal to ur president and at the same time be true to his opponents by reason of ur friendship if u ask me that's speaking from both sides of the mouth.I wonder when d President would smell a rat 1st d boko haram suspect got away from d security operatives in Borno under d very nose of d governor now this Sanusi is insulting our collective intelligence by claiming to be loyal to d President for obvious reasons and at d same time he's bosom friends with d Presidents opponents.Mr President dis pple have no REGARDS for u do something let them no u're not stupid.
Hmmmmmn, dont u just love the Fulanis???? Though The CBN governor is not my favorite person @ the moment, i love this write up. Lets not make enemies bcos there is always life after now.
And only those who don’t know Nasir will even think I am his intellectual match- he is just exceptional in his brilliance.
Sanusi couldn't have put it better. El-rufai is simply brilliant. Sanusi in intelligent but he's no match for el-Rufia. I watched both their interviews on AIT and u can tell who made more sense between the two of them. I once attended a lecture by El-Rufia in abuja and i was blown away.
I have no problem with the intelligent northerners. It's the extremist, uneducated, lazy ones I have problem with.
lets leave all those criticisms aside for now,el rufai's achievements as fct minister stands unequalled till date.el rufai is presidential material,cos he's enlightened ,broad minded and detribalised,even more than sanusi.i will have no qualms in giving el rufai my vote if and when he decides to contest for nigerian presidency.
@ibo boy I think u nid help from ur pple in d villa wat do u no abt south south pple. U beta go and hug transformer if u and mama
Thanks for your good observation.
Drink bleach, hoe.
@Temitope Olayiwola Taiwo: You are misinterpreting his words. He's not supporting GEJ because he doesn't want to step down. As a serving minister, he has to be loyal to the person who appointed him. If he feels the policies are wrong, then he'll step down. If nothing else, the statement he made about El Rufai is a clear indication that he's doing stuff based on principle (even if you don't agree with his principle). If all he cared for was about his ass, then he should have blasted Rufai cos Rufai has been very critical of GEJ and his policies.
This rabid mistrust of anybody who is in government is one of the reasons why Nigeria has issues progressing. There are lots of honest folks who want to contribute their quota but when they think about the name calling and abuses they will receive just because they are in govt, they decide to sit back.
This is Pure Damage Control, SLS from a "privileged" Northern Family chooses not to be aware of what this subsidy removal will do to the already burdened nigerians because of his 100 percent acceptance of govt policy.
Sanusi, I have always followed and respected your talks on various issues, from religious to social and of course economic. I was very worried on your position on fuel subsidy, but concluded that maybe you are privy to some knowledge, some information that we are not. I definitely, for once, do not seem to be in tune with your position on fuel subsidy. But then, now this your talk on loyalty to the President is making me have a rethink. If loyalty to the President is the basis of your position on this, then I am certainly NOT with you 100% on this!
I am a Medical doctor not an economist but I need not be to understand some basic things that translate to hardship for people at the grass roots thereby endangering their health in all ramifications. I don't know if you have ever paused to ponder why health indices - Infant Mortality Rate, Maternal Mortality Rate, Life Expectancy etc - are used to gauge the level of economic advancement of a country. Or whether it occurred to you why the Millennium Development Goals are heavily focused on Health themes. As a paediatrician, I know what I see on a daily basis. I know what kills these children on a regular basis. Abject poverty, extreme hunger, ignorance and illiteracy are only some of the realities we come face to face with quite too often. Even those that survive these don't attain their full potential. What a waste of human resource and potential?
I have no doubt Sanusi, that removal of subsidy on petroleum products in Nigeria will only further push people down below the poverty line. Subsidy in itself is not bad! Different countries subsidise different sectors. Hence we hear of subsidies on agricultural products in the US for instance.
Sanusi, even if you insist on subsidy removal, thinking that more funds will be available for provision of social amenities for the populace, the bottom-line in all these is the mismanagement of resources and corruption. There is no public accountability. There is no good governance. That is the reality. Those at the helm of affairs have not shown any indication that they are any different from previous ones. And that is the problem with this your position of "loyalty to the President". That is why on this one, I am opposed to you 100%. The cart must always come after the horse and NOT the other way round!
Whatever...
Hahahaha!! While ur comment about Niger Deltans may be viewed as offensive by some people, it is so true. The Niger Delta's worst nightmare is its so-called elite. They are the rodents that have siphoned the resources channelled for the advancement of the region. And when it comes to political discourse, they are clearly short of ideas and ever so often confrontational.
I am honestly very impressed with what Sanusi wrote about el-Rufai. You can sense the sincerity, honesty and humility in him. Inspite of the backlash he has received in the last few days, am thrilled by his humility. Sanusi is a role model.
Ibo u r wrong for throwing insults on niger deltans. Ibos sure have their bad sides.
Taking a cue from Ano@12.14. Jonathan should smell the rat now. Aguyi Ironsi experience is there for him to learn. He admitted that there are many BH in all facets of the govt. SLS is talking too much and if he is 100% loyal as he claims then he must be with GEJ. There are many intelligent young men and women in Nigeria like the trio and OBJ no matter his shortcoming is good in fishing them out. But intelligence does not connote radicalism and that is why SLS should step down and act like El Rufai. Nigeria is about the only country where coins is not readily accepted as a medium of exchange yet, SLS speaks with arrogance every now and then.
The new Northern cabal?? We shall see
SLS and his sweet mouth! They are all part of the problem IMO.
These are the kinds of Nigerians who should be serving our great country. Sanusi, i have never liked you but after reading this, you sure deserve to me Nigeria man of the year. God bless you and God bless Nigeria.
Transfixed? Writers block? Humbled beyond words? I sha dont know what overtook me after reading this piece. Im liking this Sanusi guy more and more sha. Better leave that govt than spoil your image o
I want to try and understand the wisdom in this comment.
In your opinion, a man should resign his position if he agrees with government only 80% of the time???? '.....loyalty to corrupt governance at the expense of the masses! chei!'
So it should be 100% support or nothing? It is better for a less good man to take up the position and support corrupt governance? Obviously your point is that it is better for the people to get bad governance 100% of the time instead of 80% or even 50%.
You have made so much sense, you need to take over Sanusi's position.
@ibo is so sad that u are living in a primitive world, were u insult an ethnic group of over 20 million people, u are the dull one here, blogs are meant for intelligent contributions, ideas and suggestions.Guess the Niger-Deltan's are the past GOVERNOR'S of all the eastern states that squandered the resource of ur states or the Northerner's, that hv governed Nigeria for over 34 years or was OBJ 8 years the best ? u need to grow up
This dude is one of the most intelligent men in this country and I DARE any1 to prove me wrong.This goes a long way to proving what quality of individuals the north can offer to the country if they bother to educate the almajiris instead of using them to do their dirty works
lt takes a humble mind to do wot Sanusi Lamido Sanusi did in this write up and l dare say it has not removed from his own intelligence. This is a lesson to us all to always give credit to whom it is due, whether or not we agree with their positions on issues. God bless Nigeria.
@ ibo,i will not join issues with u to insult the ibos because doing that will reduce me to ur primitive level but let me refresh ur memory ( stealing) almost all the past Governors, politicians and other public office holders in Nigeria are facing criminal charges of embezzlement of public funds, (dull) check ur facts from national orientation agency, ministry of education and other relevant agencies u will discover sound, brilliant minds from the Niger-Delta region,(violent) which region in Nigeria do not hv a militia group( MOSSOP, OPC, BOKO HARAM) are all these groups peaceful wake from ur ignorance and slumber
lt takes a humble mind to do wot Sanusi Lamido Sanusi did in this write up and l dare say it has not removed from his own intelligence. This is a lesson to us all to always give credit to whom it is due, whether or not we agree with their positions on issues. God bless Nigeria.
@anon 8.01. You could not have said it any better. It is a truism that the problem of the Niger Delta belies any quick fix, however, considering the proliferation of studies on the Niger Delta region and its development setbacks, the so-called elites of the region are the bane of the region. They South South) claim to have a collective responsibility to address poverty but in practise, they are not only individually selfish and corrupt at the detriment of their 'beloved' region but grossly ethnocentric. Interestingly, they are ever prepared to point fingers at the North.
FFK just replied to Malla Sanusi.
Here goes:
http://omojuwa.com/?p=2462
let it be known here that Ibo boy is NOT an IGBO person rather he is a disgruntled fellow looking to cause rift between Igbos and the South south people. There are many online thugs like him especially from the Yoruba stock roaming around blogs, nairaland, onlinenigeria,Nigeriavillagesquare, etc with fictitious Igbo identity.Please disregard his comment as I know him very well.
Where lies, your education and intelligence if you are part of a government that supports subisdy removal without proper implemention and monitoring of palliatives? Couple of months should have been employed to evaluative the impact of the saftey nets for the poor. The essence of education lies in proper utilisation of findings from research done before carrying out a project. For instance, you ask poor people to stop cutting down trees to avoid deforestation. It is a good approach but what is the alternative? Poor people need firewood for domestic duties and by indigenous knowledge they know the adverse impact of deforestation but they have no ALTERNATIVEso you make provision for alternative fuel options at affordable rates. By proposing subsidy removal, you should have alternative that can help the poor survive after due monitoring processes to measure the success rate of the palliative. That is EDUCATION and INTELLIGENCE!Not piles of degrees and loyalty pledges to both sides of a coin Mr Sanusi.
http://www.facebook.com/l.php?u=http%3A%2F%2Fglobebreaknews.blogspot.com%2F2012%2F01%2Fnigerian-alison-madueke-double.html&h=rAQFkKJdEAQEjlLn5JYB5AF502iLCGAVLaerAd3VFtH_IHA
Hausa-Fulani tend Ï„o look alike... Tall and slim, and handsome I might add!
Truth is when the northerners are educated and enlightened they are a beautiful sight Ï„o behold.
abeg go siddon jo. dis lamido will b yanning up n down like sey his yansh no dey smell. someone needs to EXPOSE him jare. wasnt he and saraki doing dirty deals re: intercontinental bank???????
ok. first thing first, just cause d handle is "ibo boy" doesnt mean d person na ibo. cud b someone tryna play divide n conquer duuhhh.!
n secondly if una no like us niger deltas..n we crooks militia dull blah blah...abeg pls cut the land and go ur way we go our way...we no mind oo
Temitope Olayiwola Taiwo! What do you know about loyalty and governance? Shut your mouth, study more and speak less.
Till tomorrow, I remove my hat for El-Rufai esp, his tenure as F.C.T Minister...(he always forgets F.C.T is what it is today because of the Iron-hand he used) but these days I don't understand him.
As for the Fani guy, who doesn't know him, that one that worshipped Obasanjo like God... he should take the back sit.
impressive.... i admire lamido's sense of loyalty,especially in a society where people are willing to sell their brothers for a bowl of porridge...
Na wah for una! Everyone now loves Sanusi, the same people that rubbished him when he wanted to introduce Islamic Banking. I have no respect nor trust for the so called educated Hausas with extreme Islamic views. They suffer from superiority complex which makes them come across as hypocrites! Once have I spoken, and twice should GEJ hear that he has more enemies than friends in his cabinet.
Temitope Olayiwola Taiwo said...
Worthy of note is what Lamido said:
"We don’t have to agree 100%. He also understands that so long as I am in government I have 100% loyalty to the president. If I feel I cannot be loyal I should step down. "
In other words, he supports govt's policies even if its wrong ('sometimes' as he might call it) cos he does not wish/want to step down!
loyalty to corrupt governance at the expense of the masses! chei!
@Temitope,
IT IS GROSSLY UNINTELLIGENT TO DO SELECTIVE READING OF ANY STATEMENT: DID YOU READ THE WORDS AFTER WHAT YOU HAVE QUOTED ABOVE? HERE IT IS IN CASE IN YOUR RUSH TO JUDGEMENT, YOU DECIDED NOT TO SEE IT: “This does not mean supporting every policy but it means standing up to play my part in doing what is good for the economy”. NA WA FOR OUR NEW DAY INTELLECTUALS AND PUBLIC COMMENTATORS O!!! jacob
Bearing in mind that that's kuku not wat the man said. Why mister 1st commentator chose 2 ignore the following bit only he knows... He decided 2 take the man's words outta context & twist them instead. Hmmmph.
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