Kaduna State Governor Nasir El-Rufai has accused Southern Kaduna leaders of inciting trouble in the area in order to reap financial benefits.
Mr El-Rufai condemned the leaders of the area during an interview on Channels Television’s programme, Sunday Politics.
“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,” he said.
Recently, a lawmaker representing Zagon Kataf/Jaba Federal Constituency Amos Magaji accused the governor of taking sides in the clashes between various ethnic and religious groups in Southern Kaduna.
However, El-Rufai said in the interview that the region’s leaders have been employing the same tactics for over 20 years in order to get ‘brown envelopes’.
He said: “Anyone that is moderate anyone that is promoting peaceful co-existence between various ethnic groups is considered a sellout.
“And a governor like me, who does not appease them because they are used to being appeased, they cause troubles, 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.”
The governor further said: “Most of these people have no means of livelihood; they were living off the governments.
“The governments before us were paying them money every month, they called it peace money. We stopped it. This is why they say I am taking sides. Whatever they say, I take it. I am the governor of the state. If they don’t abuse me, who will they abuse?”
