El-Rufai presents staff of office to ex-Pfizer official crowned monarch in Kaduna

Nasir el-Rufai, governor of Kaduna, has commended community leaders in some of the state’s local government areas (LGAs) for their “remarkable” efforts to restore peace.

The governor gave the commendation on Monday in Takau, after presenting the staff of office to Kantiyok Tagwai, the new agwam zikpak and former employee of Pfizer, a pharmaceutical company.

He said the security challenges being recorded in some LGAs require traditional rulers to be more dedicated to promoting peaceful relations among communities.

“Addressing the security challenges and threats to the rural economy that menace some of our communities requires a strong partnership between the government and traditional institutions,” the governor said.

“Following recent tragic events in Zangon Kataf, Jema’a and Kaura local government areas, there have been remarkable attempts at community level peace-building.

‘’We wish to commend all the personalities and institutions involved in and supporting the efforts to chart a new path of peaceful relations in our communities.”

El-Rufai told Tagwai that he was appointed a traditional ruler because of his intellect, managerial experience and leadership potentials.

He said his government “will never approve the nomination of people who are not above board as traditional rulers in Kaduna state.”

‘’The traditional leaders of this day and age in Kaduna State must not only be born in royal lineage but be soundly educated and possess solid experience in the public or private sectors,” he said.

‘’They must have built a distinguished track record that is honest and free of corruption perceptions, demonstrated commitment to promoting community values, unity in diversity and peaceful coexistence in our state and nation at large.”

The governor recalled that the new traditional ruler spent nearly five years of his service years working for Pfizer, the pharmaceutical company that has successfully produced a potential vaccine for COVID-19.

“You are head and shoulders above your fellow aspirants to this stool in terms of intellect, track record of managerial experience and leadership potentials,’’ he told him.

‘’As soon as we receive the COVID-19 vaccines, our traditional rulers and community leaders have major roles to play in ensuring that our health workers, senior citizens and persons with co-morbidities and vulnerable groups are immunised against the virus free-of-charge, as a matter of urgency.

“Our emirs and chiefs have major roles to play in implementing the state-wide mask mandate and social distancing protocols.”