Politics

By Aminu Mohammed

This article may ruffle feathers and annoy some people, but it is done with good intentions. I have observed youths’ excitement and political campaigns for presidential candidates on different social media platforms. In some cases, friends and associates have turned to foes for having opposing views on their candidates. Some even terminate a business relationship because of politics.

Indeed, I am aware of the difficulties faced by the people, especially the increasing cost of living worsened by inflation. Nigerians are suffering because of the bad economic policies of the present government and the ongoing depreciation of the Naira, which has plunged millions of people into poverty. In other words, people’s living standards are getting worse, as life was better a decade ago than now.

First, I want to clarify that I’m not too fond of politics and have no interest in any presidential candidate for the 2023 elections. However, as a Nigerian, I am a bit worried about how our people campaign for their candidates on social media platforms. Some clerics have gone to the extent of warning people not to vote for candidates outside their region. Unfortunately, the northern youth have not learnt any lesson in the last seven years.

The fact of the matter is that the current structure and governance system only benefits the elite and their cronies, as well as a coterie of aides, while most people are pauperized. The northern youths who are dissipating energy on these presidential candidates should note that the elite do not care about them but their aggrandizement. The northern political elites are hiding under the name “Arewa” to deceive the masses while using proceeds of corruption to buy properties in London, Dubai, New York, Kuala Lumpur and Paris.

Have they pondered to ask why public universities were closed for eight months, and the elite did not see the urgency to address the plight of the striking lecturers? Has the life of an ordinary northerner improved in the last seven years, although President Muhammad Buhari is in power? Was there any economic transformation in the North in the previous seven years? In my 12 years of experience as a journalist in Nigeria and my interaction with politicians and government officials, I have concluded that politics will not rescue the North, but only an attitudinal change towards entrepreneurship and commerce will change the narrative.

Attitudinal change towards entrepreneurship/commerce

I have never seen a society transformed based on political patronage. I have never seen a prosperous community due to its people being fixated on political power. So let me clarify that our fixation on political power will not save the North. It will not take millions of children out of the streets or rescue our economy.

Our focus should be on improving our economy, empowering women through education, and creating businesses and initiatives that will improve the general well-being of our people. I have seen many cases of global transformation based on entrepreneurship and commerce. For example, we have all witnessed China’s transformation based on the manufacturing and development of small and medium-scale enterprises. This is also the case with countries in South East Asia such as South Korea, Malaysia and Singapore. Thus, emphasis should be placed on the youths’ personal development and self-reliance. The idea of depending on politicians for handouts instead of pursuing self-reliance in the North should be de-emphasized. No society has prospered based on such practices of handing out peanuts to hangers for survival.

 Acquisition of vocational/ digital skills

Our focus and pursuit of political power have never helped us in the past, and they will not help us going into the future. It only helped to enrich the northern political elite and establishment at the expense of the majority. What will save us is a society with an amalgamation of empowered youths equipped with the requisite education and modern skills relevant to the global economy.

I want to reiterate that our youth should learn vocational skills to support themselves and stop wasting their time blaming their relatives for not helping them or sitting in “Majalisa”. Academically inclined people should learn digital skills offline or online to get remote jobs or fend for themselves. They can also learn digital skills for free on platforms like Coursera, Simplilearn, Udemy, and Udacity, among others. I am appealing to northern youths not to waste their time antagonizing friends and associates over these charlatans masquerading as leaders.

Aminu Mohammed is at the Kiel School of Sustainability, Chrtistan Albrechts Universität zu Kiel, Schleswig Holstein, Germany. He can be reached via gravity23n@gmail.com. 

By Sule Abubakar Lucky Mark

The throwing of verbal punches soars dramatically, and I don’t know when it will come to a screeching halt. These Obidients are radical but not tactical. To them, all that glitters is Obi, and all that is Obi glitters! And if it is not Obi, then it should not be any other person. All that is Obi should be deified, but all that is not should be demonised, demolished and desecrated. What insolence!

Of course, political wrangling is not bad. On the contrary, a sensible, harmless political dispute beautifies democracy, especially as it has almost become our culture in Nigeria during electioneering. However, if it is taken to the extremes, that is when such political culture becomes autocratically undemocratic!

When people declare their interest/candidacy, they automatically sign up for public scrutiny and surveillance. And as we all know, deep-seated criticism is one of the essential components of democracy. ‘It’, according to Professor Farooq Kperogi, ‘marks the difference between autocracy and democracy.’ Unfortunately, this central democratic constituent is subdued in Nigeria, especially by some of these Obidients.

Peter Obi has been literally deified (aka ‘godified’) by most of his supporters, especially the ones I have seen and met. Whenever Obi is subject to intense scrutiny, it is considered blasphemy. They have malevolently vilified me (and others, too) for harmlessly asking questions and even writing objectively on Obi. Some of them come up with unsubstantiated claims that some people have paid me to write what I write or that I have some political affiliations with certain presidential candidates. Some of the Obidients go as far as sending irritating, threatening and accusatory PMs to me. Funnily enough, an elderly Obidient told my first cousin that my cousin should not greet him again for supporting a different candidate from his.

This visceral deification of Obi was surprisingly taken to the extremes when I saw some Obidients threaten other people with metaphysical and extrajudicial threats of death. On Facebook and, especially, on Twitter, the more intense your criticism of Obi, the higher your threat. And the milder your criticism of Obi, the milder your invective from the Obidients!

Democracy, as I always say, is choice-driven. So, you can’t use asinine threat, weak-kneed verbal causticity, and the modern pejorative sense of rhetoric to compel others in a democratic setting. Coercion is an infringement on the democratic rights of people!

Every criticism hurled at Obi is considered by this set of Obidients as sacrilegious. When Obi is brought under even the littlest public scrutiny, such public scrutiny would be instantly met with their stiffest form of opposition. Their belief in the sacredness of Obi is as strong as they come, but I can unequivocally say that Obi, like every other Nigerian politician, is not some infallible demigod. So, the beatification of Obi should stop now!

If the ‘Obidient movement’ is for ‘political revolution’, as they say, why do they still tow the path of vulgarity which could eventually stymie their goals? Such hostility towards other people could make Peter Obi’s chance of winning the election peter out because the more they are hostile towards people, the more they unwittingly drive prospective supporters away.

Supporters are won over through brilliant persuasion, not through the usual throwing of verbal punches at other people and the hurling of rhetorical missiles at prospective voters/supporters!

Sule Abubakar Lucky Mark via suleabubakarmark2020@gmail.com.

By Abdulhaleem Ishaq Ringim

As rightly identified by policy documents of both Atiku Abubakar and Bola Ahmed Tinubu, young people remain the country’s most valuable assets. However, this tremendous resource base is severely underutilized, as evidenced by unemployment and underemployment numbers. This makes job creation and youth empowerment significant points of policy focus and concern for both candidates. 

Tinubu, to start with, in the 3-paged “Youth Empowerment and Entrepreneurship” section of his policy document titled “Renewed Hope 2023”, outlined a number of strategies his administration would implement if elected into office to ensure enhanced job creation, youth entrepreneurship development and empowerment. 

Identifying the lack of access to credit at the fore of the challenges impeding youth entrepreneurial development, Tinubu plans to ensure easy access to low-cost credit for youth-led enterprises and simplification of loan application processes. He plans to leverage the instrumentality of the CBN to develop suitable incentives for commercial banks in this regard and mandate federally owned and affiliated financial institutions to develop similar schemes. 

He also plans to bolster intergenerational business mentoring and cooperation with 2 million volunteer entrepreneurs and professionals across the nation committed to working with youth to find employment, hone job skills and create businesses. Per the plan, a Youth Advisory Council would be inaugurated to the Employment Action Plan the administration would develop if elected. 

In his bid to reform the National Youth Service Corps(NYSC), Tinubu intends to develop and strengthen a job-matching programme for graduates to enable more corps members to enter the private sector during their service years. Employers would also be incentivized to retain corps members at the end of their service.

Additionally, he intends to expand business incubation centres to support youth innovators to acquire and protect through patent and trademark registration, intellectual property and other proprietary rights over inventions and innovations. 

As far as governance and political appointments are concerned, his administration intends to preserve at least 3 cabinet positions for persons under 40, 6 more positions for persons under 50 and 20 per cent of political appointments to MDAs to persons under 40. A Presidential Fellowship Scheme would also be established to train future leaders. 

On the other hand, Atiku dedicated 10 pages to discussing his plans on “Job Creation”, where he outlined four pathways(to jobs ) his administration would create if elected President come 2023. 

The first pathway is the Informal Sector Pathway to Jobs. It starts with relaunching the National Open Apprenticeship Programme(NOAP). The programme would recruit 100,000 Master Crafts Persons(MCPs) annually who would, in turn, train 1,000,000 apprentices(especially those who have lost the opportunity to attend or complete basic education) on various trades and skills. 

The MCPS and apprentices(upon graduation) would be beneficiaries of 21st-century standard business advisory services, and their training clusters would serve as robust ecosystems that would guarantee ease of access to finance and other ancillary services. 

National Board for Technical Education(NBTE) would be mandated to create a credible, recognized and verified skills/competencies certification system for the beneficiaries of the programme. The certificates would serve as credentials for employment purposes in the “new-collar” or informal skills-based sector. The Programme, of course, would be operationalized in close collaboration with the private sector and relevant trade associations. 

The second pathway is the Entrepreneurship Pathway. It starts with working towards the speedy passage of the National Research and Innovation Fund(NRIF) Bill. When passed, the Fund would receive funding from the CBN’s MSME Fund, Development Bank of Nigeria, Bank of Industry and other private sector institutions and donor agencies. It is expected that at least 100,000 budding entrepreneurs will be added annually. 

Support from the NRIF will be in the form of grants, loans or equity investments in small enterprises. It shall be provided either as start-up capital or to scale up innovations that have already demonstrated a strong track record of impact and effectiveness. 

Atiku also seeks to introduce and actively promote a Graduate Trainee Internship Programme (GTI), which would target National Youth Corps members. The GTI will transfer useful employability skills to Corps members to increase their chances of finding sustainable employment. While they undergo entrepreneurship training, the NYSC will be matched with potential employers for internship/traineeship in the private sector. 

The technical and financial capacity of the Industrial Training Fund (ITF) would be grossly improved to operate its internship and apprenticeship programmes at a much higher scale to cover a minimum of 2 million workers per year.

The Schools to Jobs Pathway is the third pathway identified by Atiku. Here, a formal Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) system will be supported and technical colleges and vocational skills acquisition centres will be re-positioned to produce skills and competencies for innovation and the creation of new ideas and products inside enterprises from where future jobs and future prosperity will derive. 

This would be followed by training of a low-level workforce, such as operatives, artisans, craftsmen and master craftsmen for commerce, industry, agriculture, and ancillary services. The absorptive capacity of the formal post-basic TVET and Vocational Centres will be increased from the current total enrolment and completion of fewer than 200,000 students to 500,000 in 2025 and 1,000,000 by 2030. 

Additionally, selected vocational training institutions would be remodelled into a one-stop shop to provide vocational training, entrepreneurship (accounting, management training expertise), life-skills programmes, etc. 

Enterprise start-up training programmes to be delivered by SMEDAN would be provided to the graduates of technical and vocational training centres who opt for self-employment. Upon completion of the training, participants will submit business plans to Micro Finance Banks and apply for loans from the Bank of Industry, which will be supported by a start-up grant from the National Innovation Fund. 

Graduates of the technical colleges will receive loans and Business Development Service coaching and support from SMEDAN/ Business Development Service Providers. On successful repayment of loans, graduates will receive a final grant (matched to the value of the original loan value) to boost their businesses.

The fourth and final pathway, as outlined by Atiku, is the MSME /ICT Special Entrepreneurship Pathway. This shall start with the facilitation of the establishment of the SME Venture Capital Fund by the private sector to provide longer-term capital for targeted small firms. The administration shall aim to attract a minimum of $250 million in private-sector funding for Nigerian small businesses. 

The administration would create a platform for de-risking SME lending, increase the MSMEs funding window from N200 billion to N500 billion, and set aside the same for the new platform. Awareness of the National Collateral Registry of Nigeria will be rigorously promoted, and the collateral registration process will be further simplified, especially for places without internet access. Enhanced registration access will help unlock much-needed finance for MSMEs. 

The administration would also establish the Financial Innovation Fund((FIF) to incentivize commercial and Microfinance banks to develop innovative solutions for providing credit facilities to the MSMEs sector. The Small-scale Industries and Graduate Loan Guarantee and the Small -Scale Industrial Credit Scheme shall be reformed and reintroduced. 

Special focus on the ICT sector will be provided by Atiku’s administration, and Nigeria shall be aggressively marketed as an outsourcing destination. With a robust IT infrastructure in place and more than 150 million mobile phones, opportunities abound in Business Process Outsourcing with the potential to create 2 million direct and indirect jobs. Nollywood, a great labour employer, would be actively promoted to make it the 3rd largest film industry in the world. 

And on political appointments, 40 per cent of the cabinet would be reserved for youth and women. 

On comparison, one would notice certain points of convergence from the above excerpts as directly culled from both policy documents. For example, both documents identified a lack of access to credit and finance as a major impediment to youth entrepreneurial development. 

However, while the Tinubu plan heavily stresses easing access to commercial loans and simplification of loan application processes, Atiku’s planned interventions seem more specific, overarching and diverse (with adequate involvement of the private sector). They also seem more sustainable as most of them would be backed by legislations and institutional pillars like the NRIF, SME Venture Capital Fund, Financial Innovation Fund etc. 

Another point of convergence is the identification of the imperative of intergenerational business mentorship as a veritable avenue for job creation, youth empowerment, and entrepreneurial development. However, with ease of access to funding interventions, the Atiku plan seems more practical considering specific policy prescriptions like the establishment of the NOAP under the Informal Sector Pathway to Jobs. It also seems more sustainable as it seeks to create a new labour market and standard for employment to be legitimized by the new NBTE skills/competency certification system. 

Additionally, while Tinubu’s NYSC reform focuses heavily on ensuring more corps members join the private sector mainly by simply incentivizing employers to retain them, the Atiku plan approaches the problem more prudently as it seeks to equip corps members with high-value employability and entrepreneurial skills through the Graduate Trainee Internship(GTI) programme before matching them with potential employers. No incentive matches the availability of employees with enhanced employability and entrepreneurial skills for private sector employers as it means enhanced productivity. 

The same goes for other interventions that both policy documents commit to pursuing. One intervention, however, that is important but seems missing in the Atiku plan is the Presidential Fellowship Scheme proposed by Tinubu to serve as a platform that gives young people the opportunity to experience and participate in public service and governance as with Kaduna State’s Kashim Ibrahim Fellowship and Lagos State’s Lateef Jakande Leadership Academy. 

Notwithstanding, the Atiku plan clearly provides more specificity and seems more practical and sustainable(backed by legislation and institutions). It is also more diverse in scope and solutions pathways for identified impediments towards enhanced job creation and youth entrepreneurial development. The Atiku plan is better for job creation and sustainable youth empowerment.

Abdulhaleem Ishaq Ringim is a political/public affairs analyst. He writes from Zaria and can be reached via haleemabdul1999@gmail.com and @pragmatist_AIR on Twitter.

Sule Abubakar Lucky Mark

What aphorism could have more aptly encapsulated Atiku’s socially divisive, searing and bigoted mannerism better than the saying in William Shakespeare’s play – ‘Much Ado About Nothing’ – which goes thus: ‘Would rather be a plain-dealing villain than an honest flattering man.’? By being a ‘plain-dealing villain’, Shakespeare means to be strict and yet upright so that people could even swear that despite your ever-growing strictness, your uprightness is still intact. So, in summary, it means to be a sharp model of rectitude.

And, being ‘an honest flattering man’, on the other hand, means, in a nutshell, to be tactically implicit in your wording so that no one’s ox would ever be gored, i.e., to be politically correct!

And so, I’ve always wondered why Atiku Abubakar, who intends to rule a multi-ethnic and multi-religious country like Nigeria, would be trapped in a circle of ‘honest flattery’ in his political voyage, and the most surprising thing is the fact that he does this without remorse. If you want to rule people, you should instead be a ‘plain-dealing villain’ than an ‘honest flatterer’, for it is in your ‘plain-dealing villainy’ they will know whether you would express deep concern about their collective plight or not in case you eventually become their leader.

On 16 October 2022, in an interactive session, Atiku reportedly told the Northern Elders Forum in Kaduna, ‘…I think what the northerners need is someone who is from the north and also understands the other parts of Nigeria, who has built bridges across the country. This is what a northerner needs. He doesn’t need a Yoruba candidate or an Igbo candidate.’ – Punch newspaper.

Atiku’s geo-ethnic bigotry and supremacism can be likened to what Shakespeare described in the play above as ‘mortifying mischief.’ And this ‘mortifying mischief’ of Atiku, if he is not adequately cautioned for it, could fan the flames of deep cleavage among Nigerians.

A presidential candidate who is said to be a ‘unifier’ should not carelessly shout an ethnic slur on/against other regions. He is expected to strengthen the dwindling bond of our existence and not weaken the already ailing breath of the fatherland. A patriotic ‘unifier’ should not play the ethnic card in the north and play ‘the unifier card’ in other regions. That’s sheer hypocrisy!

In his usual ethnocentric delusion, Atiku has always played ostrich when it comes to pressing national issues. On 12 May 2022, when some homicidal youths took the life of Deborah Samuel at Shehu Shagari College of Education, Atiku quickly posted on his verified Facebook account and condemned the illegal act. Still, after some people threatened that they would not vote for him, Atiku shamelessly removed the condemnatory post he had made earlier. That act alone has a subtle undertone: Atiku is in thrall, and he has no guts to pilot the affairs of this country!

And who knows if William Shakespeare also had Atiku Abubakar in mind when he described one of his characters in that same play: ‘Thou wast ever an obstinate heretic in the despite of beauty.’ In Atiku’s case now, despite his undeniable beauty, seemingly athletic figure, etc., he is still a rash reprobate. And if you are still inwardly an ‘obstinate heretic’, as a man, despite your beauty, especially in contemporary Nigerian society, you cannot be a reliable leader. Your government will be fraught with fabulous fraud and a glittering facade!

At this critical stage of national politics, people must be careful as they make their choices because they are in the hands of manipulative political musketeers who masquerade like angels with their honeyed rhetoric and empty promises. And if Nigerians are not careful, they will later have to find an answer to Birago Diop’s rhetorical question in his poem, which goes thus:‘If we cry roughly of our torments, what hearts will listen to our clamouring’?

Sule Abubakar Lucky Mark sent this article via suleabubakarmark2020@gmail.com.

By Uzair Adam Imam

The Presidential Candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, slammed his critics who claim he is unhealthy.

The presidential candidate argued that he is healthy and capable enough to occupy the highest office in the land.

Tinubu stated this in Kano during a meeting with businessmen in the state on Saturday.

He said, “I am not running for 100 yards or 500 yards; I am running for presidency. I’m not competing for WWE Wrestling. If I go out there, they would say he is sick. I’m standing before you, do I look like a sick man?” Tinubu asked.

“To everyone of you who had come out today, I say a big thank you. Thank you for walking and spending your time for a better Nigeria. Walking for the mission and the vision of a prosperous country. You have done it with your expectation, that this country must be inclusive and serve you as a nation.

“For everyday I spend as your President, when elected I promise you with strong determination that you will not be disappointed. Your hope is renewed. Our nation will be accomplished.

“You will be successful as Nigeria will be successful. Thank you for your strong effort and raising the hope of other millions that will come after you. Thank you. God bless you and God bless our country,” he said.

Tinubu also promised not to disappoint his supporters if elected President.

By Ibrahim Uba

Many observers have already concluded that no gubernatorial election in Kano has ever drawn more aspirants like the forthcoming 2023 election. There are over ten politicians who are vying for the governorship position. All these contenders have started their publicity campaigns, creating political razzmatazz on social media, radio stations, and across every nook and cranny of Kano state.

I carried out some research about each of the aspirants and also studied their campaign activities carefully. Some appear to lack experience and competence to govern the great Kano state, while others adequately fit the job. But I form an opinion that Bala Gwagwarwa, of SDP, is the overall best for the following reasons:

1. Of all the aspirants, Gwagwarwa is the only one who held leadership positions in all three tiers of government — local, state and federal. He served as local government chairman, commissioner for water resources; commissioner for science and technology; and national treasurer of the All Progressive Congress (APC). None of the other aspirants has as huge hands-on administrative experience as he does.

2. From his interviews and speeches, Gwagwarwa is very aware of how people suffer from growing poverty, especially in rural communities. He also seems to understand all the needs clearly and wants of the Kano people. The recurrent statement in all his speeches is that:

 “When I am elected as the governor of Kano, my administration will prioritise vital sectors of the economy. I will not concentrate on insignificant projects of building flyovers and underpasses which have nothing to do with the economic progress of the people. My administration will  empower the poor and restore the autonomy of local governments to help the development of rural communities…”

3. Moreover, while the rest candidates are campaigning through splashing money and political mobilisations, Gwagwarwa’s campaign focal point is explaining his blueprint and plan of action. He is fully prepared and ready to swing into action from day one. I was awed at his recent interview on radio stations, where he skillfully explained ways to revitalise small business owners in Kano.

4. Gwagwarwa is also well-educated and visionary. Moreover, he is a man with a good disposition and charisma that the Kano people will be proud to call their governor.

I hope the good people of Kano state will pay attention and vote wisely. Any aspiring candidate who is inexperienced and/or without a manifesto doesn’t deserve our votes. We tried many, but they failed us. Our inability to vote for the right people is the main problem.

May Allah make the best of choices for us, Ameen!

Ibrahim Uba wrote from Kano via ibrahimuba752@gmail.com.

By Uzair Adam Imam

Peter Obi, the Presidential Candidate of the Labour Party, denied the allegation made by the Kaduna State Governor, Nasir El-Rufa’i that he was detained during Anambra governorship election in 2013.

El-Rufa’i laid the claim on Monday at an event for presidential candidates organised by the Arewa Joint Committee, saying that Obi ordered security operatives to detain him some nine years ago.

Responding, the LP candidate stated that he was not behind the directive for El-Rufai’s detention in Anambra.

He said, “When I came in now, somebody told me that my brother, the governor of Kaduna state, said that he came to my state and I detained him. Let me tell you, it is good when these things happen, you clarify them.

“Number one, in my eight years of being governor, only in the first three months did I have a commissioner that is not from the north — Commissioner of Police. And that’s because I met the person.

“At the time the governor said this, it was during election. The police commissioner that was there then was from Adamawa — CP Gwari from Adamawa. The AIG that supervised that election was CP Nasarawa from the north. The DIG that came for that election was from Kano.

“Tell me my power, that I was in APGA — government was PDP and APC. Tell me how APGA person will issue order for somebody to be detained. Even me was detained in my local government.

“However, the only offence I committed is that when they asked me, I said ‘that’s how they treat everybody; that I wouldn’t be in Kaduna on the day of election’. That was the only thing.

“I cannot do that. As governor of Anambra state, I had the best ADC in Nigeria — the best policeman. My ADC, Mohammed, is from Kano. He’s the best policeman that I have ever met. Who will I give the order? How will I tell who lives in my house every day; I’m close to his family; I get up and say ‘Mohammed, I want to deal with your people’, and he will stay there.

“Call my ADC today. I will give you his phone number. He’s the best policeman. He’s a CSP now. So, when people say Peter Obi is black. 2019, I was [vice-presidential candidate], I was a good man. Now that I want to be president, I’ve become a bad man. I did not do anything wrong. I want to change Nigeria.”

By Uzair Adam Imam

The BUA Group responded to the threat by the Kogi State Assembly to revoke the 500-hectare land allocated to the company a decade ago, saying the group is no longer interested in the land.

On Monday, the Kogi State House of Assembly summoned the cement firm to account for why it failed to pay the premium and other charges.

The assembly alleged that the company did not pay the charges despite being issued a certificate of occupancy

But, the management of the company, in a statement Tuesday, said the feasibility studies had shown that only about 30% of the entire land mass is suitable for their investment, while the rest (66%) consists of rocky, hilly and/or undulating areas.

The company also stated that the government had failed to provide infrastructure to make the area accessible, adding, “The land could also be reached by water.”

This is, however, coming amidst a crisis with the Dangote Group over the ownership of the Obajana cement plant in Kogi State.

The conflict deepened last weekend as the state government and Dangote Cement Plc continued to lay claims to the facility.

By Uzair Adam Imam

The police operatives in Bauchi State killed two suspected bandits during an exchange of gunfire and also recovered machine guns and N8.4m ransom generated from victims in the state.

A 20-year-old bandit was also arrested by police in the incident that took place on Tuesday at Maina-Maji village, Alkaleri Local Government Area of the state.

CP Umar Mamman Sanda, the Bauchi State Commissioner of Police, made this disclosure to journalists while parading the suspect on Tuesday.

He added, “Security concerns in our society have assumed alarming dimensions ranging from gender-based violence, thuggery, armed robbery, kidnapping, and banditry, among others.

“This necessitates a review of our modus operandi to contain the current security challenges bedeviling our dear state.

“On 07/09/2022, a patrol team attached to Maina-Maji Divisional Police Headquarters, in collaboration with a vigilante group, acted on credible intelligence and raided a suspected kidnappers’ den.

“On arrival, the kidnappers opened fire on the Police operatives. While returning fire, two of the kidnappers were neutralized at the spot.”

Your excellency sir,

The people of the Yelwa community have recently received soothing news of your plan to re-install a head for them, who will help revive and fight for the development of the community and beyond. The community had a joyous celebration at hearing this good news because they had long been waiting, praying for such action. Sadly, however, the tribalism-influenced reactions from some of your tribesmen (Goima people) show how envious they are about this long-awaited development.

Three to four days after the news reached every nook and cranny of the community, some rioters from your tribe were all over the streets of Yelwa Shendam protesting against the re-instalment of the new community chief. Their protest didn’t stop there; it got to a point where they violently defaced many cars, attacked innocent passers-by and set some places afire. My dear Governor, what are we going to call this? Terrorism or what?

According to their unreasonable, selfish statements, the people of the Yelwa community must have been under the control of the Nsher community head, which is impossible if Justice is considered. My dear Governor, how on earth can a 30-year-old village be a mother to a 200-year-old community? Is this something to agree with? No. Nsher is a 30-year-old village, while Yelwa is a 200-year-old community. There’s 170 years interval between the two. Therefore, Yelwa is, whether they like it or not, a grandmother to a mother of Nsher.

Since November 26, 1992, when the community head, chief Adamu Othman died, Yelwa has been without a leader to date (almost 30 years today). The previous administrations, at some point, vowed to re-install a new head for the community but didn’t keep their promises. It is surprising and questionable for a populous community like Yelwa to be left this long without a ruler. Many more villages in Plateau State have less population, businesses and other developmental things than Yelwa, but none is without a head. Why Yelwa?

Truthfully, Yelwa deserves to be upgraded to the status of Local Government, not only chieftaincy, for it has all it takes to be one.

Finally, my dear governor, the people of the Yelwa community really appreciate your tremendous support and care towards them. You are indeed a true definition of a good leader. Yelwa people have no words to thank you enough. But there is one thing you seem to forget. I have already demystified it above.

Thank you, sir.

Muhammad Abubakar