Former Kaduna State Governor Nasir El-Rufai revealed that he nearly demolished a Catholic church in Asokoro during his tenure as Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Minister, but was persuaded to spare it by the late Chief Audu Ogbeh.
In a recent Symfoni TV interview, El-Rufai explained that the church, built on a donated residential plot, was located at a junction, causing traffic disruptions. As part of his mission to restore Abuja’s master plan, he marked it for demolition. “I was an equal opportunity demolisher. If it violated the master plan, it had to go,” he said.
Initially unmoved by pleas from senior Catholic officials, El-Rufai stood firm, citing the church’s inconvenience to residents. However, Chief Audu Ogbeh, a former Minister of Agriculture, joined a subsequent delegation and offered a compelling argument: “This building inconveniences people once a week. Is that not worth praying for Abuja, Nigeria, and humanity?”
Ogbeh’s perspective convinced El-Rufai to spare the church. “That building survived because of Chief Audu Ogbeh, and no other reason,” he stated.
