Former Kaduna state governor, El-Rufai, recently highlighted the ongoing debate around fuel subsidy in Nigeria.Â
He revealed that the federal government has been subsidizing petrol, commonly known as Premium Motor Spirit (PMS), which has incurred substantial costs for the current administration since its inception on May 29th, 2023.
El-Rufai’s remarks came during a speech he delivered at a Capacity Building Workshop in Maiduguri, Borno state.
He emphasized leaders’ need to possess qualities such as decisiveness, trustworthiness, empowerment, clear communication skills, and resilience.
“Though, it is too early to judge the present administration, has just been there for only nine (9) months, and you know leadership is a work in progress, you start something as I said in my speech, you start a policy because you are absolutely sure is the right policy, but in the course of implementation, if you see bottlenecks, you modify, because the keyword in leadership in my view is not ideology or anything, is pragmatism. You should always be pragmatic. You are not God, only God is perfect, so as a good leader, when you make a policy and you start implementing it, and it doesn’t seem to work well, you should have the humility to stand back and say, this is not working.”
El-Rufai acknowledged that assessing a government’s performance within just nine months is premature, emphasizing that leadership is a continuous process.
“For example, if you appoint a person to a position and he is not performing to expectation, you should have the humility to say look, I need a better person to do the job perfectly. Leadership is a continuous thing and in a term of four years, you can’t assess a government of nine months.”
He stressed the importance of pragmatism in leadership, suggesting that leaders should be adaptable and willing to modify policies if they prove ineffective.
Regarding the removal of fuel subsidy by the current administration, El-Rufai initially supported the decision, citing his longstanding advocacy for subsidy withdrawal.
However, he noted that the government has since reinstated the subsidy due to its adverse impact, despite efforts to mitigate its effects.
El-Rufai pointed out the discrepancy between petrol and diesel prices, indicating that the former’s lower cost indicates ongoing subsidy.
The workshop, attended by government officials and chaired by Governor Zulum’s representative, Deputy Dr. Umar Usman Kadafur, aimed to enhance the skills of government personnel in policy implementation and human resource management.
The Head of Service, Barrister Mallam Fannami, lauded El-Rufai’s participation, recognizing his experience in public service.
Governor Zulum commended the organizers for selecting El-Rufai as the lead presenter, highlighting his impeccable credentials and performance in public service.
He expressed optimism that the workshop would improve the quality of civil service and ultimately enhance service delivery to the people of Borno state.
