Governor Nasir El-Rufai

Femi Adi/Kaduna.

The Special Adviser on political matters to Governor Nasir El-Rufai, Alhaji Uba Sani, has said the current land recovery exercise carried out by the state is not aimed at witch-hunting anyone, as critics claimed, but generally to correct the wrongs by past administrations.

The spokesman to former President Olusegun Obasanjo also said critics who termed El-Rufai’s policies as anti masses are not only mischievous but are doing so to score cheap political points.

Sani who made this known today during an interview shortly after a closed door meeting with some party stakeholders at his office said all policies initiated by Governor El-Rufai are people and development oriented. According to him, it is not true that the governor has turned against the masses that voted him into power as alleged.

The Special Adviser who noted that El-Rufai has always been committed to ensuring that the well being of the masses is improved and better than he met them, said the APC- led government under El-Rufai will ensure equitable distribution of wealth.

On ban of hawking and begging, Sani explained that the ban was not meant to punish those who engage in it but to stop them from it and encourage them to embrace the new empowerment programme initiated by the state government to make them self reliant.

While urging the residents to shun those he described as mischief makers, he called on the critics who have challenged the governor to tell the public if their children also engage in street begging or hawking. “The government has made alternatives for them and has engaged their various leaders, and effort is being made to support them and assist them particularly those who have handiwork.” He stressed.

Though Sani admitted that some of the beggars are largely disabled, he said there are still able men and women among them who take begging as business. He equally said the ban is aimed at strengthening the security situation of the state.

On the stoppage of the Ramadan feeding, he said over N400 million has been saved which hitherto was used to purchase rice and oil and distributed largely to those who can afford it at the detriment of the poor in the society. “We realised that such money can be used to purchase furniture for schools and feed our pupils in primary school, you can see that all the critics of the governor are only being economical with the truth.” He stated.

Fielding question on the stoppage of sponsorship to Hajj or Israel for pilgrimage, he said the previous governments spent over N500 million yearly to sponsor people to Hajj while over 95 per cent of those who go to Israel are government sponsored. According to him, the monies saved can be used to purchase uniforms for school pupils.

He however urged the critics to be constructive, stressing that it is only through such that Kaduna can develop and move forward.

“Kaduna state has gone many years backwards, younger states have overtaken the state in terms of development, there are lots of wastages and leakages, which the government is already addressing,” he said.