THE MAN WHO SAID NO

 ADEDEJI OLORUNTOBA provides

fresh perspective on Governor Uba Sani’s leadership style

It was a refreshing moment for viewers who watched the Television Continental (TVC’s) breakfast show when an accomplished journalist and columnist, Sam Omatseye interviewed the Governor of Kaduna State in the Government House in Kaduna. It was another opportunity for the governor to unravel the issues surrounding the recent violent protest in the state and other matters of State interest.  On the protest, he confirmed that he conveyed a town hall of critical stakeholders in the state including youth, sequel to a letter written to the State Government on the protest.

As a human rights activist who believes that the peaceful protest is the right of the citizens in a democracy, he had no objections but cautioned and appealed to the organisers to consider the fragile security of the state, and the high likelihood of hijack by fifth columnist and disgruntled politicians who are still nursing the pain of defeat. According to the governor, he reminded the stakeholders of the crisis that engulfed the state in 2000, following debate on the introduction of Sharia law in Kaduna State, and also the deadly protest that turned riotous in 2011 following the outcomes of presidential elections which General Muhammadu Buhari lost to the then ruling party, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP). In both unfortunate events, thousands of lives were lost and properties worth billions were destroyed by anarchists. All these were the instances that the governor brought to the fore at stakeholders’ engagement forum for collective reasoning to prevail and for sanity to reign supreme in the land. The engagement however worked to a reasonable extent as the protest was held in just  three out of 23 Local Government Areas in Kaduna State.

True to prediction, it was gathered that politicians and their collaborators who wanted to force regime change in the country, mobilised innocent children and other ignorant mobs to start attacking state facilities and public infrastructure. They even went overboard to engage in a brazen act of treason by waving the Russian flag, sending signals to the Russian regime, which is purported to be backing military governments in neighbouring West African countries. 

For those reminding him of his activities in the civil society and his roles in previous protests in Nigeria, including pro-democracy campaigns that put his life on the line, the governor categorically stated that he was never involved in headless mob action sponsored by disgruntled politicians. In 1992, when Uba Sani, alongside others, mobilised over 10,000 students and youths to protest against the policy on education, it was peaceful and orderly. No state infrastructure was attacked or private business looted. Unlike the destructive protest that subversive elements sponsored with a whopping 60 Billion Naira, according to  the report presented by the National Security Adviser (NSA) Mallam Nuhu Ribadu. Aside from the millions of dollars sent from the diaspora to truncate democracy.

The anti-democratic elements and other state actors’ sinister plots were foiled by the proactiveness of the federal government and respective state governments. True to his colour as a true democrat, Governor Sani acknowledged the depressing hardship in the country, which is unfortunately a global phenomenon as witnessed in other advanced countries like the United Kingdom and the United States of America, he however admonished that cutting off the head would never be a panacea to headache. He called on the political and business elite to show empathy and help the most vulnerable segments of the society.

Providing a better context to the current economic crisis, the governor blamed the misfortunes on the mismanagement and poor economic policy choices of previous government, particularly the indiscretion on the ways and means wherein over N30 trillion were sourced for the Muhammadu Buhari government by the embattled former Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria, CBN, Godwin Emefiele.

The crushing poverty level in northern Nigeria also came under focus. The Governor expressed deep worries on the widespread poverty, and the number of out of school children roaming the streets of the north. Out of over 18 million kids reported to be out of school, 14 million were said to be in the North. It was not a time to pass the buck. He included himself among the northern ruling elite who did not do enough to emancipate the people by providing them quality education to be able to compete with other parts of the country, and globally. Child and maternal mortality is another area that the governor advocated that authorities should focus on. We can still salvage the situation. “The best way is for us to collectively sit down and chart a course forward. Blame game has to stop. It is important we address these problems and sit down at the round table”, the governor said during the interview.  

On the giant strides under his government, just a little over a year since he assumed office, the governor has put machinery in motion to scale the human capacity development of Kaduna youth to harness vast opportunities in the creative and knowledge economy.  As the educated ones are gaining exposure and empowerment, the governor has started mobilising resources and opportunities for mass artisans in the informal sector.  He is building three skill acquisition cities, in partnership with Morocco, where over 6,000 Kaduna youth will get trained. According to data, the governor disclosed that the Ajaokuta-Kaduna-Kano Gas Pipeline project, not fewer than 5,000 welders will be needed for the project, aside from other blue-collar professionals, which the skill acquisition cities he is constructing will provide. The popular Panteka market in Kaduna, reputed to have over 35,000 artisans, is also being revamped and upgraded to meet the yearning needs of the people.

The icing on the interview is the creative financing of projects in Kaduna, and the purposeful leadership the governor modelled before all elected public office holders in the state. He led by example by not procuring any new official vehicles for himself, which the commissioners and aides in his government also complied with, including the honourable members of the Kaduna State House of Assembly. This was to safely navigate and balance the need to provide essential services amidst servicing huge debt of N400billion , immediate past government bequeathed for the current government in Kaduna.

Despite resources constraint, the governor has embarked on construction of 69 roads in rural communities of the state, reconstructed general hospitals, provided agro-chemicals, seedlings and fertilisers to farmers to maintain the competitive advantage in specific agric products like Ginger, Maize, Soybean and Tomatoes. All these efforts will be scaled with the partnership with Afrexim Bank, which has chosen Kaduna State as the desired investment destination for agriculture.

 Oloruntoba writes from Kaduna