You are a transformational leader - Senator Uba Sani salutes El-Rufai at 60- Mallam Uba Sani has extolled the virtues of Governor Nasir El-Rufai of Kaduna state - El-Rufai had on Sunday, February 16, clocked 60 years on earth - Senator Uba Sani described El-Rufai as a transformational leader and extraordinary patriot for the turnaround he made in Kaduna state The senator representing Kaduna Central at the Senate, Malam Uba Sani, has sent a congratulatory message to Governor Nasir El-Rufai over the celebration of his 60th birthday. Legit.ng's regional reporter in Kaduna, Nasir Dambatta, reports that the lawmaker said that at the age of 60, Governor El-Rufai has grown into an extraordinary patriot and workaholic with sterling and unequalled achievements in both the private and public sectors. In a birthday message, Senator Uba Sani, on Monday, February 17, described the governor as a transformational leader of note, a patriot to the core and a first-class performer. "It is my prayer that Almighty Allah continues to protect him and imbue him with even greater drive, intellect, and good health as he continues to serve not just Kaduna state but our great nation at large," Senator Uba said. Read also Breaking: Obasanjo shares a secret about El-Rufai and the privatisation between 1999 and 2003 Noting that it is not easy to speak or write about someone close with whom so much is shared, he said, they started with Governor El-Rufai as acquaintances, then became friends, during which he learned a lot by accepting wholeheartedly El-Rufai's mentorship. "While he served as the minister of the Federal Capital Territory, I witnessed firsthand his raw energy, doggedness, uncommon intellect, clarity of thought and purpose and even-handedness as he set out to restore the Abuja Master Plan. "In fact, President Olusegun Obasanjo who appointed him in 2003, later confessed that he head-hunted El-Rufai for the job because he knew that only a ‘mad man’ could sanitise the ministry of the Federal Capital Territory and the Federal Capital Development Authority (FCDA) which were then notorious as bastions of corruption, ineptitude and land racketeering. "Assisted by a dedicated team, Mallam Nasir El-Rufai practically reworked Abuja and incredibly restored the Federal Capital Territory’s original master plan. And till date, his record as the minister of the FCT remains indelible and of course unequaled. Read also el-Rufai's zeal for service is unquestionable - Tinubu felicitates with Kaduna governor at 60 "Working closely with Mallam El-Rufai at the FCT, I marveled at his ability to discharge the onerous task entrusted to him by the president devoid of any iota of sentiment or bias," the senator said. He said that eventually their relationship transcended friendship and El-Rufai became an elder brother and close confidante. "Following his emergence in 2015 as the governor of Kaduna state, he graciously invited me to work with him to fix our dear state which had been ruined by previous administrations. "I did not hesitate a bit in taking up this challenge. For four years I served as Governor Nasir El- Rufai’s special adviser on political and intergovernmental matters. It was a role that gave me a front-row view, once again, of the tenacity of El Rufai, even in spite of unprecedented odds. "The situation in Kaduna state as at May 2015 when El-Rufai took office as governor was so bad that any ‘normal’ human being would have panicked and given up early in the day. But Mallam El-Rufai was created by Almighty God for tough tasks. The governor rolled up his sleeves and got all of us to do same and we all went to work," he said. Read also How el-Rufai helped me win 2015 election - Buhari reveals, hails governor as he turns 60 PAY ATTENTION: Install our latest app for Android, read the best news on Nigeria’s #1 news app Meanwhile, Legit.ng had previously reported that President Muhammadu Buhari sent a congratulatory message to Governor El-Rufai of Kaduna on the occasion of his 60th birthday on Sunday, February 16. NAIJ.com (naija.ng) -> Legit.ng Same great journalism, upgraded for better service! 2023 election: Why a northerner should be President again - Shettima | - on Legit TV Source: Legit.ng - Mallam Uba Sani has extolled the virtues of Governor Nasir El-Rufai of Kaduna state - El-Rufai had on Sunday, February 16, clocked 60 years on earth - Senator Uba Sani described El-Rufai as a transformational leader and extraordinary patriot for the turnaround he made in Kaduna state Legit.ng PAY ATTENTION: Legit.ng