Author: Mallam Nasir Ahmad El Rufai
Publishers: Safari Books Ltd, Ibadan. Nigeria
Reviewer: Professor Dr. Emmanuel Omoh Esiemokhai
When the vendor insisted that I purchase the book that carried the image of a thoughtful, pensive man on the cover of the book entitled, THE ACCIDENTAL PUBLIC SERVANT, I reached for my wallet and purchased a copy.
As I slowly went through the contents of the book, I applauded my decision to buy it. I started by reading the Endnotes, which carry valuable documentary information. This heightened by interest in reading the epic narrative of Nigeria’s contemporary political events.
It is an indelible historical fact that Nigerian political development has been shaped by chance happenings, of unprepared leaders accidentally jumping onto the stage, rigging themselves into high political offices, for which they are neither academically equipped nor did they possess the requisite experience in statecraft.
The leader finds solace in recruiting experts, who proffer solutions to the best of their abilities. Our Heads of States have been guided by tribal and not national sentiments in their political and policy decisions and implementations.
They have been scintillators of primitive politics, ruthless use of power and bare-faced promotion of bizarre calculations, dictated by crudity of intellect and wickedness of heart.
The author, Nasir El Rufai is a very lucky man. He is an old soul, who quickly sees a point and has a strong belief in the virtues of holding on to the truths he believes in.
I came to these subjective assessments of the man, after laboriously and meticulously studying the contents of the book. He is also very cosmopolitan, in that unlike some politicians, who restrict their associations to thr tribal potentates, he is a good mixer.
I find nothing fraudulent in the book and any insinuations to that effect are ignorant, malicious assertions. Of course the contents of the book have revealed the bare-bones of political chicaneries by leaders, who have played god as a result of the docility of the marginalized, feral, Nigerian under class and the charlatanry of Nigeria’s ruling class and their intellectual recruits over the decades.
The major merit of Nasir Ahmed El Rufai’s book is that it defiantly puts on notice, to all those, who had served, are serving or propose to serve Nigeria, that there will be an El Rufai, who will tell Nigerians about their noble or ignoble practices, manipulations and satanic control of a nation, like the wicked Pharaohs of ancient Egypt.
The book is a formidable deterrent to the future political operators, who think that he or she can replicate the corrupt manipulations and control of God-fearing Nigerians.
Nasir El Rufai has a razor-sharp mind, a good memory and eyes for details. I can conclude that his MAGHRIB PRAYERS are always answered, whether they are said in Mecca, Medina, in Kaduna or in Abuja, FCT.
Many Nigerians easily sell their pride and dignity, including their divinity to whoever can appoint them to political office and so, they remain loyal, long after leaving political office. Chief Akinyele of Ondo Kingdom is a classic example of this phenomenon.
In Nigeria, the modus operandi, especially with Olusegun Obasanjo is to select, not the brightest, but the most malleable, useable and those, who are perceived in his judgment, are going to be obedient and loyal even when the interest of the Federal Republic of Nigeria is begging to be put first.
When he recruited the brilliant young three MUSKETEERS, he did not expect that they would disagree with his third term debacle. In my article entitled THE THIRD TERM DEBACLE, I reported that the plan was real after my visit to Germany, while Government ministers were speculating on the plan.
Being a young man, Nasir El Rufai could not have been in a position to write more comprehensively on the PIONEERS OF ABUJA.
In 1975 or thereabouts, the Director of the Nigerian Research Center and his team travelled to London, where they delivered a paper on the strategic importance of relocating the Nigerian capital city to Abuja. The lecture was later published in leading Nigerian and London newspapers and was later published in the Federal Nigerian Gazette.
The politics of the ABUJA PROJECT is a story. I was the Administrator-General of the Nigeria Research Center, which the former UNIBADAN Research Fellow established.
I would like to put on record that Dr Amos Gandonu rendered meritorious services to the Abuja Project. I do not know whether streets have been named after, AL haji M.D Yusuf, the former Inspector-General of Police, Dr. Amos Gandonu and other men and women, who made Abuja possible, long before Nasir Ahmad El Rufai exerted his efforts to make Abuja habitable.
Those, who criticize El Rufai, accuse him of favouring his friends, associates and his TRINITY, with land allocations. Those, who defend him, resort to the Igbo adage, OGBU OPI NA EZI IMI.
He fought against colourless men in power, who wanted to build anywhere and everywhere, mean and unsophisticated dealers, who paraded themselves as leaders.
In my recent article, entitled The Era of Disclosures: There is Nothing Hidden Under the Sun, I encouraged our citizens to disclose corrupt practices, as these disclosure would deter future leaders from wanton, callous irresponsibilities.
Nasir El Rufai showed courage and patriotism in writing his book. Shame on those, who took OATH of silence, they have since learnt that you do not call on God as a witness in perverse acts.
For God is not mocked, what men show they shall reap.
An intriguing story in the book is the tortoise story. It shows that in the Federal Republic of Nigeria, occultism, superstition and marabouts still influence the minds of our politicians. Where demons enter the souls of leaders, that nation will know little peace.
Those, who blame Obasanjo, may wish to look at his nation-building abilities. This was what led me to respond to his invitation to Otah, in 1999. Shortly after his release from prison, he sent for me, while I was Senior Lecturer in International Law at the Obafemi Awolowo University, Ife.
He requested my opinion as to his suitability tor President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and, whether he would win the election.
I told him to give me some time to do some permutations and that I would surely come back with a frank verdict.
I went back to tell Obasanjo that he would win by 68%. He won by 68.8%. After the result was announced, I called him and said 68%! He responded We thank God!!!
He requested for my CV, where he discovered that I had attended six different Universities. Nothing came out of the request of my CV.
Other scholars like Dr. Stanley Macebuh and Dr. Dele Cole had their own experiences with Obasanjo.
As a former student at Elihu’s School of Prophecy in Egypt, I have successfully predicted Barack Obama’s victory one year before the event, Vladimir Putin’s victory long before it happened, the ascendancy of the Socialists in France. I know who the President of Nigeria will be in 2015. He will usher in a New Nigeria!!!
Who knows what propels Obasanjo’s behavior towards those that have done him good? Perhaps, the pressures upon him as a good reference man for all good things can make a man to believe that he is a demi-god.
Well Done, Mallam Nasir Ahmad El Rufai! A MUMUNGWODE!!! The editors did a good job too.
