By Yusuf Adua
The Senior Pastor of Omega Fire Ministries, Apostle Johnson Suleiman, on Monday, dared Kaduna State Governor, Nasir El-Rufai, to mention the leaders from Southern Kaduna who had demanded money from the state government in exchange for peace to reign in the entangled zone.
The governor on Sunday had earlier portrayed the Southern Kaduna leaders as “criminals” who wanted to be “appeased”
The former FCT minister who appeared on a Channels Television programme, Sunday Politics, made it known that his administration would not grease the palms of those who “organised the killings”.
He added that the crisis rocking Southern Kaduna had a 40-year history and past and present governments had tried to stabilise the area.
The governor said affirmatively: “I have no time for nonsense. I will not appease criminals. I will not appease idle people who have nothing to do but to raise a spectre of genocide. They do that to get money into their bank accounts and get donations from abroad instead of standing up”.
To the governor, a leader who decides to be moderate and slick in co-existence among various ethnic groups is considered a sellout, so, a governor like him who does not appease them because they are used to being appeased would have to cross some hurdles.
“They organise these killings and then, their leaders are invited by the governor, they wine and dine and they are given brown envelopes. That’s what they have been doing for 20 years.” Mr. El_rufai said.
Reaching to the governor’s claim on his Twitter handle, Apostle Suleiman challenged El-Rufai to mention the names of the leaders or keep quiet and fix the mess.
“Just heard the Kaduna governor said some elites in Kaduna want ‘brown envelopes,’ that’s why they are fanning the embers of war. If you are sure of your claims, mention their names so we drag them on this street. If not, keep quiet and fix the mess. Enough of the bloodshed”, he censured.
News Live Nigeria gathered that nearly 100 people had been killed in the last few weeks by criminal elements in renewed religious and ethnic violence in Southern Kaduna.
