An Islamic human rights organization, the Muslim Rights Concern (MURIC), has asked the Nigerian Senate to reveal the exact security breach contained in the security report over which the clearance of the former governor of Kaduna State, Mallam Nasir El-Rufai was denied.
The group raised the issue in a statement issued on Wednesday, 23rd August, 2023 by its Executive Director, Professor Ishaq Akintola.
The full statement reads :
“The former governor of Kaduna State, Mallam Nasir El-Rufai was recently denied clearance as a ministerial nominee by the Nigerian Senate on 5th August, 2023 citing a security report. This report is yet to surface weeks after the controversial screening.
While the Senate delayed clearing two other ministerial nominees, Stella Okotete (Delta State) and Abubakar Danladi (Taraba State), they have since been cleared. However, Mallam Nasir El-Rufai’s fate remains uncertain, as no one has disclosed details of the security report on him.
“Worse still, while the two cleared ministers were told their offences in clear terms, El-Rufai’s offence was not revealed. Neither was he allowed to defend himself. This method is unknown to democratic practice, alien to the rule of law, repugnant to global best practices and terra incognito to natural justice, fairness and equity. The 10th Senate has a burden on its conscious until it does the needful.
“We aver that democracy thrives in a transparent environment and anything shrouded in secrecy contradicts the principles of transparency, probity and accountability. It amounts to disenfranchisement for Senate members who were elected by the Nigerian electorate to deprive the same people who elected them of knowledge of such vital information as what is contained in the security report. Senate must come clean or be deemed responsible for the ‘mysterious’ report.
“We therefore ask the Nigerian Senate to, without delay, reveal the exact security breach contained in the security report over which the clearance of the former governor of Kaduna State was denied.”
