The Kaduna State Governor, Mallam Nasir El-Rufai is not ill and flown abroad for medical attention as being peddled in some quarters.
Rather, it was learnt that el-Rufai had commenced receiving lectures as a part-time student of Philosophy of Doctorate degree, PhD, in Governance and Policy Analysis at United Nations University-Merit, Netherlands.
UNU-MERIT, a research and training institute of United Nations University and Maastricht University, based in the South of the Netherlands has been closely involved in research for a variety of UN agencies, including the International Labour Organization, the United Nations Children’s Fund, the United Nations Industrial Development Organization, and the World Bank.
The UNU-MERIT is ranked 6th among the world best universities.
There has been wide speculation especial in the social media platform that the governor was flown for medical attention.
As at the time of filing this report, effort to reach the Special Assistant to Governor El-Rufai on Media and Publicity, Mr Samuel Aruwan proved abortive as a call to his cell phone indicated that he could not be reached.
But an online post by the United Nations University-Merit dated March 7th, 2017 at 8:23 pm noted that the university had received new intakes among them, Governor El-Rufai.
It said, “United Nations University-Merit. Yesterday a new batch of students started our Dual Career Training Programme to obtain a PhD in governance and Policy Analysis(GPAC2). Good luck to all!
Also, a tweet by one of the lecturers of the university, read, “I’m looking forward to teaching H.E.@elrufai in November, student at UNU Merit/Maastricht University”
Also, a top government official, who would not want his names in print because he was not permitted to speak on the matter, said: “the governor is not sick but he is attending a program abroad.”
He added, “That is why the Deputy Governor, Mr Barnabas Yusuf-Bala, is presently Acting Governor pending the return of the governor after the program.”
El-Rufai, a first class Quantity Surveyor graduate of the Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria.
The governor is also an alumni of Harvard University.