Kaduna State Governor, Nasir el-Rufai, on Tuesday night cleard the air on a lingering controversy, saying he never slapped his deputy, Barnabas Bala, whom he described as a friend of 40 years.
El-Rufai made the clarification in Kaduna while reacting to an alleged fight between him and Bala.
The friendship of the governor and Bala dated back to their undergraduate days at the Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, where the former graduated with a first-class degree in Quantity Survey while the latter bagged a first-class degree in Architecture.
El-Rufai said he had known Bala since 1976 at the university and there was no grouse between them.
Political reports had claimed that the governor and his deputy were at loggerheads over plans by governor El-Rufai to sack some top civil servants in the state.
In an interactive session with some journalists in Kaduna, El-Rufai simply laughed over the allegations, he added that the rumour mongers were not intelligent enough.
His words: “I have known Bala since 1976. I never had an argument with him; I respect his opinions and each time I travelled out of the country, I made him the acting governor. He signs documents on my behalf.
“We chair executive council meetings together. We operate like partners, and now people want to create enmity between us. I am of age, I can’t descend so low. This rumour is completely false; it is created to cause division. We never discussed the retrenchment of workers in the state as claimed by the rumour mongers.
“I have never slapped anyone in my life. I have never argued with Bala. I don’t slap people, I fight people with my mouth.”
El-Rufai made the clarification in Kaduna while reacting to an alleged fight between him and Bala.
The friendship of the governor and Bala dated back to their undergraduate days at the Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, where the former graduated with a first-class degree in Quantity Survey while the latter bagged a first-class degree in Architecture.
El-Rufai said he had known Bala since 1976 at the university and there was no grouse between them.
Political reports had claimed that the governor and his deputy were at loggerheads over plans by governor El-Rufai to sack some top civil servants in the state.
In an interactive session with some journalists in Kaduna, El-Rufai simply laughed over the allegations, he added that the rumour mongers were not intelligent enough.
His words: “I have known Bala since 1976. I never had an argument with him; I respect his opinions and each time I travelled out of the country, I made him the acting governor. He signs documents on my behalf.
“We chair executive council meetings together. We operate like partners, and now people want to create enmity between us. I am of age, I can’t descend so low. This rumour is completely false; it is created to cause division. We never discussed the retrenchment of workers in the state as claimed by the rumour mongers.
“I have never slapped anyone in my life. I have never argued with Bala. I don’t slap people, I fight people with my mouth.”
Naija people are good in making up rumour
ReplyDeleteOk I hear but pls don't slap ooh.nenyekutes@gmail.com
ReplyDeleteMedia likes to paint this man has a dictator
ReplyDeleteThat's good you cleared the air about the conflict
ReplyDeleteNothing internet will not bring bc this have gone so far and ppl are talking wow but how come some can be making up stories like this .
ReplyDeleteTheir palava
ReplyDeletedec.16th@yahoo.com
Naija Rumour monger's.
ReplyDeleteThat's extended rumour can go but only believed & spread by fools without verification. But his Excellency I agreed you might have not slapped your deputy but the aspect of you have never slapped anyone in your life is laughable Sir.
ReplyDeletePolitics
ReplyDeleteNa dem sabi..inumidun
ReplyDeleteNawaooo, how could he do that kind of thing.
ReplyDeleteNa all of una sabi. wetin concern me. Abeg, who get 20L fuel that's not using again to giv me?
ReplyDelete#Olu,can you see?