- Okechukwu urges President Tinubu to halt El-Rufai’s ejection from the Federal Executive Council
- El-Rufai’s revamping power sector ideas may lead to more Nigerians being ejected from the grid
Mr. Osita Okechukwu, a senior member of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Enugu State, has pleaded with President Bola Ahmed Tinubu not to revoke the appointment of Mallam Nasir El-Rufai as a cabinet member.
The former governor of Kaduna’s appointment has generated debate as the Senate delayed his confirmation as a result of a security report.
El-Rufai is rumoured to have decided to turn down the cabinet position.
However, Okechukwu advised that El-Rufai’s anticipated high-caliber contributions to the nation as a minister should be taken into consideration while responding to inquiries from journalists in Enugu on Sunday.
Okechukwu, a foundation member of the APC and Director General of Voice of Nigeria, appealed to President Tinubu, to as a matter of urgent national importance, halt his ejection of El-Rufai from the Federal Executive Council.
He recalled making a similar appeal that El-Rufai should be made Chief of Staff but former President Muhammadu Buhari preferred him as governor of Kaduna.
According to him, “The extraordinary El-Rufai tonic was lost and one will not like neither our dear nation nor President Tinubu to miss this rare opportunity.”
While harping on the ideas El-Rufai would bring on the table towards revamping the nation’s power sector, Okechukwu said: “El-Rufai’s ejection from the system will unintentionally lead to the ejection of more Nigerians from the National Electricity Grid.
“A lot of rich Nigerians are already ejected from our public electricity supply chain by epileptic power supply and many poor Nigerians by high tariffs. We need a unique one like El-Rufai to fix it.”
“I am neither a cheerleader of Malam Nasir El-Rufai nor is he indispensable; however as Mr Project, he is equipped more than some of us to not only transform our electricity chain, but sanitise the toxic power industry.
“His track records in FCT, and Kaduna State confirmed his exceptional competence and capacity to overhaul our electricity chain.
“He is already rounding up his PhD on Power Reforms abroad and has assembled a team for this onerous assignment. Let him be Mr President,” Okechukwu appealed.
Asked if he is not aware of El-Rufai’s alleged transgressions which may be the reason behind the security report against him, Okechukwu answered that, “One wholly condemns injustice of any hue from anyone, let alone the reckless killings which took place in Kaduna under his watch.
“Injustice anywhere is injustice everywhere; however, saving thousands of lives that die in Nigeria daily by omission or commission as result of epileptic power supply may be an atonement for Malam El-Rufai.”