By Jibrin Miachi
Governor of Kaduna State, Senator Uba Sani has weathered storm and stepped up actions to deliver service to his people, despite the present economic bites. This is reflected in the Governor’s political interventions in education sector and road infrastructural development, a landmark achievements, he has made less than two years into his first tenure of administration.
The Governor deliberately chooses actions in those areas to convince people that democracy has a lot of benefits to bestow on ordinary citizens. This political effort is akin to the Kaduna State former Governor, Ahmed Muhammed Makarfi’s understanding and applications of democracy in action, such which places citizens at the centre and not at the edge!
Uba Sani is a Comrade to the core. Consequently, he is not unaware of the plight of the people around him. Thus therefore, he takes delight in attending to their despair. With this knowledge of him, Uba was wooed into politics by the youths of Kaduna Central and requested him to contest election to the Senate, even when his desire was to contesting Governorship race. In their own considered opinion, the youths, Uba’s political admirers, urged him to go to the Senate for effective representative. At that time, the zone was extremely facing security challenges.
But because the overture was coming from the youths, Sani had no choice than to accept the offer. And like obedient servant, he went into the struggle and expressly won the race, with the support of his political allies. That was the benefit of listening to the voice of the people, highly respected owners of the land.
When the youths saw Uba’s performance and they were impressed, they on their own volition, decided to go into discussions with him to step out of the Senate and consider contesting Governorship election. This time around, even the elders of Kaduna North were not left out but involving in mobilizing support for him to defeat his co-contestants. Eventually, the man of the people was returned victorious. That was the beginning of his political/democratic journey.
To whom much is given, it is said, much is expected. Thus therefore, this proverb explains the political development between Uba Sani and of course the people of Kaduna state, the crocodile city, within a short-while.
When he was responding to questions from inquisitive journalists on what would be his approach to his mandate, haven won his Governorship election, Uba told people by reminding his listeners that “Democracy is a Government of the People by the People and for the People”. Speaking further, he said what this meant to him, is that “my electoral victory is a vote for service to the people of Kaduna state”, stressing: “the people, my people have spoken and God has chosen me to be the governor. So, it is a responsibility bestowed on me,” he noted and therefore declared: “I will be open to all and listen to all ideas that can move our state forward,” Governor Uba Sani promised, affirming: “I will be a Governor for all. All things being equal, the people of Kaduna state are expected to experience a new touch in their lives,” he assured.
Beneficiaries of this assurance were in the first-instance, students of various higher institutions: Universities, Polytechnics and Colleges of Education, among others who have been staying at home. They were unable to return to school because they could not afford to pay the tuition fees. The helpless students, it would be recalled, had cried out for help to the government of Governor el-rufai to have a second look at their plights. The Students Union Government leaders attempted to make representations to Governor el-rufai but their efforts were fruitless. Both the helpless students with their poor parents were left to their own fates awaiting Uba Sani becoming helmsman of the State.
The Governor, in his effort to rights perceived wrongs, decided to review downward tuition fees to minimum level, with a view to returning the students to school and continue their educations. This decision was carried out and both the students, parents and the State were better-of amidst ill feeling from certain quarters. Residents of Kaduna State and of course, passersby, saw hell and had tale of stories to tell and shared their experiences with others of what they went through in the hands of aggrieved hoodlums suspected to be students. But since after the democratic tuition fee review, sanity was restored.
Uba had in his campaign, promised to “make Kaduna good again.” Thus, besides filing potholes and covering abandoned gutter arising from attempts to construct roads, most abandoned projects of his predecessor have been taken care of. Such developmental projects cut across the state of 23 local government areas. Meanwhile, Uba has had the thought to complete Kaduna Rural transformation with a view to give people, real sense of belonging.
Security challenges scarring people within and around Birnin Gwari, have been a recurring decimal. To this end, notable personalities who included traditional rulers have made representations to appropriate quarters in search of solution to the worrisome development, prior to the emergence of Uba Sani as chief executive of the state. All said and done, Sani (the Idi Amin of our time) went in, stepped up actions and now the situations have been arrested, paving way for people to do what they were unable to do before now. In order to cement the arrangement, the State Rural Transformation Programme had in August 2024, flagged off actions linking roads in 62 Communities, for security wise.
Essentially, the Governor’s administration is particularly interested in rural transformation to: checkmate rural-urban migration. This is with a view to boosting the economy of the rural communities.
The beneficiaries of the total 35.6km roads reconstruction project included Bagoma, Bagumi, Ungwan Fari, Idi Labo, Awaro, Tashan Keji, and Sabon Layi.
This well thought-of political decision, looked like a rebirth for the people of Birnin Cwari emirate as well as others who will have the reason to pass through the area in fears over the years, marked the beginning of restoration of peace and stability to this long suffering and troubled Local Government! .
The local Government is a major gateway to many parts of Nigeria. It is a resource-rich local government because it has huge mineral deposits and of course arable land for farming. It also has a large forest but unfortunately, that too has been a source of pains for the helpless citizens and passers-by. That has increased the challenge to security forces.
However, Governor Uba happily and joyfully announced that his administration is frantically making efforts to stabilizing the unacceptable situation just as all hands are on deck to “facilitating the resumption of business activities” in this local government, as according to him: “we want the people to pick up the pieces of their shattered lives,” adding “our administration’s Rural Transformation Drive is fast gathering momentum”, he said.
Uba continued unfolding his plans, saying his government is poised to addressing infrastructural deficit with a view to effectively accommodating helpless citizens, and “bridging the urban-rural divide, reinventing local economies, boosting agriculture and making rural living a pleasurable experience.”
For even development, the Governor said his “government is also targeting the urban poor,” Uba crowned it all, lamenting that “they have suffered years of utter neglect.” Consequently, “we are committed to building befitting infrastructure in areas where they inhabit”, the Governor pledged to give hope to the hopeless!
Jibrin Miachi is a Kaduna-based journalist