Kaduna State Governor, Nasir El-Rufai has reacted to the withdrawal of the invitation extended to him to speak at the Nigerian Bar Association’s (NBA) annual conference.
Lawyers and non lawyers had protested the governor’s inclusion as guest speaker at the association’s 60th annual conference scheduled for August 24 to 26.
Some had argued that El-Rufai refused to address the gruesome killings in Southern Kaduna while others alleged that he was notorious for human rights abuses.
Reacting to the decision by the NBA National Executive Committee on Thursday, to drop him, El-Rufai noted that the association’s leadership decided to “endorse a one-sided narrative” about the Southern Kaduna killings.
The governor’s reaction is contained in a statement signed by his Special Adviser on Media and Communication, Muyiwa Adekeye.
Part of the statement read: “While the decision about who speaks at its event is clearly the NBA’s, Malam El-Rufai wishes to make clear that he did not seek the platform and is not agitated that he has one less speaking engagement.
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“However, the circumstances of the last few days warrant some comments. That a professional organisation has elected to endorse a one-sided narrative on a profound national issue is something that its members may wish to reflect upon.
“For an association, whose bread and butter is about justice to make a ruling based on the stridency of people who lampoon judicial processes against certain individuals without hearing the other side is odd. It bears noting that in its response to pressure, the NBA leadership has signaled an unfortunate embrace of injustice, unfairness, absence of fair hearing and total disregard for the rule of law.
“The defamatory statements in the petition is another matter entirely, and they will get the appropriate response.
“Malam Nasir El-Rufai has taken several actions on the security, institutional and technology fronts to address the legacy of violent strife in the state. He is the governor that made permanent military and police bases a reality in southern Kaduna, after close to 40 years of waiting. He is the governor that set up a Peace Commission to nudge communities to embrace their responsibility to live in peace and harmony.
“He has done this with equality of concern for all residents, not just those with access to the media and who are able to mobilise sentiment even when they are part of the problem. His investments in building a constituency for peace, anchored on the rule of law, respect for the citizenship rights of everyone and an embrace of the obligations of a common humanity will continue.
“Those who have chosen to pretend that it is only Kaduna State that is experiencing the security challenges in North-West, or that it is only one part of the state that is affected can enjoy the illusion.”
