Politics

By Abubakar Ibrahim Bako

The Bauchi State political permutation has just started growing, leaving the electorate with futile calculations that would re-jeopardize the state to another version of where it is now. However, since the 2023 general elections, many politicians of substance have gone away from their political allies. But Hon. Usman Adamu Sufi, despite not aspiring for an elective post during the past elections, remains a single person committed to touching the lives of the good people of Bauchi State.

On the plus side, Sufi has garnered goodwill from all sides of the state for the past many years, making the state’s products eagerly await the day they will pay him back for the contributions he has been offering to the state. People’s sympathy is what every politician dreaming of becoming successful needs.

Mr. Adamu’s political dexterity makes him stronger than those who went away from their people until the eve of another election. Notwithstanding, electorates want someone to visit them in the form of condolences, wedding ceremonies, and other things that will make people feel a sense of concern for the commoners.

In addition, Hon. Usman Adamu Sufi appears to be the only person who will play the card for the position of governor without much ado or political stress. This is because he is very clean and healthy, which could pave the way for him to be sold to the electorate, making it difficult for others to win against him.

The way people troop to his camp in the state alerts one to start thinking by saying, “What is this gentle dashing out to them?” Okay, as he is fondly called, Sufi becomes a household name for the humane action he always displays. One can hardly wake up in the morning without hearing about the gesture he extends. He is always making headlines in the state.

Being the last hope for the electorate, I would like to encourage Hon. Usman Adamu Sufi to keep doing what he has been doing to make the lives of commoners manageable. Equally, I would like to urge the people of Bauchi State to be hell-bent on canvassing their massive support for him in any elective post to which he might aspire.

Abubakar Ibrahim Bako writes from Fanfon Shanu, Azare, Bauchi State via Abubakaribrahimbako@gmail.com.

By Nura Jibo

Senator Abdul Ningi remains a hero of Nigeria’s democracy. His revelations, as the senator from Edo North implied, will haunt their reputation, causing them to receive years of contempt and opprobrium from the Nigerian people.

No one takes any of the current Nigerian senators seriously.

The entire country and world leaders view their tongue-lashing as an overt confession to the national budget’s animadversion. What irony!

Indeed, the mentality of Nigerian politicians, both young and old, is the same. To enter politics, contest, “win” either fairly or by crooked means, and serve the 1st, 2nd, 3rd, and 4th terms.

This could be easily spotted in the Senate chamber. It is full of geriatrics who served eight years as governors in their respective states and have now become senators to take cover in the Senate and hide their political obloquy.

In the past two days, Nigerians have been left in no doubt that the Nigerian senators, including their Senate President, are already in a state of disgrace resulting from public opprobrium. And this is quite understandable.

There is no way a Nigerian citizen could trust any senator with his hard-earned electoral vote. Unless the senator steals it by fabricating figures the way they surreptitiously did in the 2023 national budget, where some of them were allocated ₦500 million as publicly confessed by one of their own!

For one of their own to call all of them culpable, or better yet, culprits, is certainly an obloquy and political hara-kiri—an indelible series of political somersaults.

What Senator Ningi presented was a testament to the fact that the entire Senate is now embroiled in a disturbing saga of corruption and self-incrimination, demonstrating a reckless disregard and disrespect for the public good.

Indeed, this Senate’s attitude is certainly an intentional breach of decorum that exposes them to the vagueness, vagaries, verbosity, and waffle of their statutory unconscionability!

May Allah SWT save Nigeria and its people from this kind of Senate’s malicious misrepresentation(s) of the people under the tutelage of budget padding.

By Zayyad I. Muhammad

In northern Nigeria, discussions on leadership succession and selection processes usually arise prominently only when the region is not in power at the center. Attention to these issues appears to be less pronounced when the North holds central power.

In four to eight years, the dynamics of politics in Northern Nigeria will witness a major shift because the current ‘Class 1’ political leaders will retire due to old age. For instance, in eight years, the former President Muhammadu Buhari will be 90, the former Vice President, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar will be 86, the former President, Ibrahim Babangida, will be 91, Mamman Daura will be 93, Murtala Nyako will be 90, former Head of State Abdulsalam Abubakar will be 90, former Head of State Yakubu Gowon will be 98, and General Aliyu Gusau will be 89. Also, General TY Danjuma will be 94, Sani Zangon Daura will be 94, Ango Abdullahi will be 84, Abdullahi Umar Ganduje will be 83, etc. Their age will eventually phase them out of active politics.

For ‘Class 2’ political leaders, some will also grapple with old age, and their faces are too familiar to the public. In 8 years, Nasir El-Rufai will be 72, Ali Modu Sharif will be 76, Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso will be 76, Ahmed Lawan will be 73, Aliyu Wamako will be 79, and Nuhu Ribadu will be 72. Bala Mohammed will be 74, Governor Inuwa Yahaya will be 71, George Akume will be 79, and Governor Abdullahi Sule will be 73, while the current Vice President, Kashim Shettima will clock 66, which is fairly good for him. However, globally, in recent times, people in their 80s have clinched the presidency of their countries, indicating that age is gradually becoming inconsequential in political contests.

However, the individuals poised to play a prominent and vital role, naturally succeeding the ‘Class 1’ political leaders, include some state governors completing their second terms in the 4 years and other political figures who are relatively young and have excelled in their positions. Notable among them are Governors Babagana Zulum (63), Ahmadu Umaru Fintiri (64), who is performing wonders in Adamawa despite its meager resources, Simon Lalong (69), Yahaya Bello (57), Mai Mala Buni (65), Senator Aminu Tambuwal (58), Speaker Tajuddeen Abbas (60) and many more in both the public and private sectors. While the dynamics remain uncertain over the next 4–8 years, it promises to be an intriguing new chapter in the political leadership of Northern Nigeria.

Furthermore, the next leadership of the North may emerge in contrast to our existing selection process, a process that was always haphazard and mostly shrouded by the vestiges of personal interests. It has often been devoid of the sub-national’s or country’s interests. This time around, someone’s performance in public office may play a vital role in his or her emergence as the leader of the North. The Northern masses are now more concerned about development-oriented personalities than just political names. Performance is key.

And the dynamics of the Nigerian political landscape are changing overtime as well. The country needs a well-planned leadership succession arrangement. This is even more crucial because the nation is a developing country. A structured political succession plan will free the current age-old leadership from the burden of ‘carrying the camel and its loads’.

Though our succession planning, especially in the North, has been happening within the spheres of political leadership in Nigeria, it was based on some old systems and outdated processes, so to speak, for example, when former President Olusegun Obasanjo was tackled on his choice of former President Umaru Musa Yar’Adua while being fully aware of the latter’s health condition, Obasanjo said his decision was based on the information available to him and Yar’Adua’s honesty. This has brought to the fore the need for the North and the Nigerian political leadership at large to cultivate the culture of having succession advisors and employ the science of succession. It will help them make sound decisions for the transition of leadership between the current generation of leaders and potential younger successors while still maintaining some sort of political relevance and influence.

Unfortunately, the current political leadership has a poor mentorship system, especially in terms of teaching the art of politics and participation in national politics. The most hit are often their offspring and lieutenants; they are mostly engaged in power play and wealth accumulation, forgetting the importance of leadership and governance . Thus,  when they find themselves in power, they become confused with power.

Let us also not forget that picking a successor in Nigeria is a painstaking job because of the complex nature of Nigeria’s politics. Our fault lines, apparent influence of geography, tongue and faith in our polity are some of the factors responsible for this. For instance, the political geography of the North has a large number of these political leaders, and the region has some of the oldest people in the national and state assemblies, including commissioners and council chairs.

The north’s “Class 1” political leadership must establish a well-organized yet practical succession plan – a crucial step for them, their politics and the region. Notably, some governors who will conclude their final terms in 2027, having excelled in their roles, should naturally be the future political leaders in the North and at the center.

Zayyad I. Muhammad writes from Abuja, 08036070980, zaymohd@yahoo.com

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 Aliyu Nuhu

Already party stalwarts are beating their chest to celebrate the achievements of the party. They called it Africa’s biggest party (not greatest).

One of the major achievements they continued to hammer was the introduction of GSM communication technology.

The big for nothing party is only talking of GSM as if Nigerians are getting the service for free! The truth is we had GSM because the technology caught up with us. When digital satellite TV came to us, the government of the day didn’t see it as an achievement. PDP and its leaders don’t have an iota of shame.

For the 16 unbroken years they succeeded in turning Nigeria into a one party state. Infact they underdeveloped Nigeria.

Security has never been worse in their time and today’s insecurity was planted by PDP.

Power generation even at peak of rainfalls was a dismal 4400mw after billions of dollars investments.

During their terrible reing there was endemic poverty, unemployment and diseases.

Meanwhile even as the party held on to power for 16 unbroken years there were 6000 abandoned projects that will need N1.5trn to complete. Billions were spent on such projects without result.

Just take a calculator and sum up our capital budgets for 16 years and compare with what PDP left on ground to give you an idea of the crimes of PDP.

Each government jettisoned the projects of the previous government to re-award or start another, forgetting that development must be anchored on continuity and consistency.

The worst of PDP has not yet been seen yet with industrial scale looting that took place in the last government still under investigation. Nigeria was never so brazenly raped like those inglorious years of Jonathan. The man simply opened the treasury vaults and allowed hyenas to feast on it. At times they didn’t even wait for oil proceeds to make it to the treasury. They stole the oil from source and hocked it to international black market.

Between the past presidents and their families, the leadership of National Assembly and their members, Ministers and governors, PDP was able to steal well over 60 Billion dollars from Nigeria and still counting.

PDP made us the most corrupt nation on earth, forget the Transparency International ranking us better figures these years we are the number one most corrupt country in the world no thanks to PDP. Nigeria is the indisputable champion of corruption and graft in the world.

And PDP slogan has been “things shall always get better”.

Better for them as from all counts they are the sworn undertakers of Nigeria and it’s poor citizens.

When they told us to tighten our belts they loosened theirs.

We have seen it before, somebody in the size of Boni Haruna went to government house to emerge with the tommy of James Ibori.

And they said we should be patient, that results of their ingenious hard work will materialise in the year 2020. We are in 2021 now and APC that is made up of PDP members is even becoming our heartless undertaker, nailing our coffin finally.

When we thought APC has come to set things right we realize we are just dealing with the same brand of oppressors. Today APC chairman Abdullahi Adamu was a former PDP chairman, an endorsement that both parties are just different sides of the same coin.

By Muhammad Abubakar

As the 2023 election comes closer, these politicians will begin to follow you for them to carry out their political ambitions and later run away from you. This happens after they have used you in a way that you will completely lose your dignity in the eyes of the world. And in the end, you will regret it. The biggest loss in your life is that: you are now valuable to them, right? They can give you whatever you request from them but don’t think that after the election they would again do something useful for you or your family.

For that, youth should wake up from this slumber. Something happened in my presence during the 2019 presidential election, which ultimately weakened my opinion about political involvement. There were two guys I had seen fighting with lethal weapons in their hands, and I was sure nothing could stop one of them from dying if stabbed with the weapons. The saddening thing is that none of them passes twenty-two years of age.

It’s time to know where it pains in your body and who pains you in your societal endeavour. Even if you have never attended primary school in your entire life, you will not want something bad to happen to you. For the sake of the almighty God. What sort of life are you (the youth) living?

If you look at the current situation of this country, you will understand that those politicians you are gambling with your life on do not care about your existence. Had it been they cared, they would not have held their arms watching you and your nation’s economy going to the dogs.

Although there are reasonable and competent among them, eighty per cent of them out of a hundred are unarguably incompetent. Therefore, a thoughtful and caring leader will never give his people illegal drugs or any accidental subject during the campaign to achieve his goal.

Another awful thing is that; the deterioration of the academic sector in this country is beyond human imagination. But yet, no good action has been taken upon that. Frankly speaking—I don’t know the specific role those politicians (who have been elected as the leaders of our dear country) play in their offices. However, it’s clear now that everyone understands the government’s negligence and I-don’t-care attitude towards the education sector.

Without a doubt, if their children were studying here in Nigeria, they wouldn’t have allowed this lingering ASUU strike to last this long. Let me repeat; youth should wake up from their slumber. Youth should know who is their foe and who likes them.

I now advise the youth to make sure that they sustain their voter‘s card (PVC) to vote for the right leader in the upcoming election.

Muhammad Abubakar is an essayist and port. He wrote from Jos, Plateau State, via muhammadabubakar01002@gmail.com.

By Aliyu Idris

The trouble with Nigeria is simply and squarely a failure of leadership. The Nigerian problem is the unwillingness or inability of its leaders to rise to the responsibility, to the challenge of personal example which are the hallmarks of true leadership. – Chinua Achebe.

It’s exactly four months since universities were shut down due to the lingering ASUU Strike. It’s disheartening for millions of university students like me in Nigeria who are at home idle; their fundamental rights to education are thwarted.

The government and politicians are busy with their political and elections shenanigans and do not bother to look into the menace of these excessive strikes.

None of the aspirants vying for the presidential throne has talked about curtailing the ASUU strike. This is utterly devastating. I always think about who to vote for regarding the issue of education in Nigeria.

To be candid, I don’t know how will this country continue to survive when its education sector is crippled. When the aviation sector wanted to embark on strike, the issue was solved a day before the strike because it’s not the education sector, which is too ironic for Nigeria.

The elections misdemeanour is their concern now. They invest heavily in politics and neglect education and other relevant sectors that will foster the country forward. The strike may be over soon or next year after the elections.

Let’s turn to the Lord (Allah) in prayers to give us the best leaders who have the country at heart, fulfil our vision and mission, and make our country great.

Aliyu Idris is a student of Bayero University Kano and can be reached via his email: aliyuidris063@gmail.com.

By Sulaiman Maijama’a

This is a complex piece to write. How can anyone following my writings from the start of the Bala Mohammed’s led-administration not submit that I have been a hailer of this government? In 2020, to celebrate Gov. Bala’s first anniversary in office, I dedicated a fifteen-paragraph piece titled, “Gov. Bala @365 day: Journey so far”, in which I dwelled much on the governor’s giant strides, despite inheriting a failed government.

In his second year, it was a thirty-five-paragraph piece I wrote titled, “Two years under review: Bauchi State wears a new face”. These are apart from the weekly piece I used to write, which, if aggregated, would produce a voluminous book—all in an attempt to unveil the achievements and areas of strength of this government. 

This year as the governor marks his three years in office, it should be a time for sober reflection and critical thinking on the underperformed areas, or to put it more appropriately, areas more need to be done.

I feel I will not be fair to the governor if I don’t help him embark on self-assessment and self-criticism to increase his speed.

“Verily, political power is a vicegerency from Allah and a stewardship from God’s Apostle”, says Imam Muhammad Ibn Abdulkarim (as quoted in “Principles of Leadership”). Caliph Muhammad Bello is quoted in “Usul al-Siyasa” to have said, “be informed, my brother, that one of the most serious misfortunes that may befall a servant of Allah is to be a leader for the consequences of having to render a full account of the office.” On this note, leaders at all levels need to be reminded of the responsibilities they are saddled with.

There is no iota of doubt that, under the leadership of Senator Bala Muhammad, Bauchi State has become the Ameerah among its sisters in Nigeria in terms of infrastructural development. Bala Mohammed has actualised a gleaming new city. Suppose one is to aggregate the number of infrastructural projects so far executed in the state and divide them by the number of days within three years (1095 days). In that case, they will discover that no single day passed on without a project since Bala Mohammed assumed responsibility as the Executive Governor of Bauchi State.

However, beyond physical projects, have other sectors not been forgotten? Has education received the priority it is worth?  Someone will say that His Excellency has built new model schools and upgraded and renovated many. Yes, sure, I cited them many times as achievements. But beyond the surface, what about the teachers’ welfare, salaries, and allowances? To the best of my knowledge, since His Excellency came in, no single teacher in Bauchi State has been promoted. More importantly, we do not have a single strategic policy for improving the standard of education. These can defeat the aim of the polished model schools.

Let me remind His Excellency that during the previous administration of Muhammad Abdullahi Abubakar, he used to have a Special Adviser on Students’ Affairs, the position Governor Bala is yet to appoint, despite its importance. It seems ironic that governor Bala has SA for unmarried women but does not have one for students. Maybe the absence of this position is the reason for the tribulation befalling the indigene students of Bauchi State because they do not have anyone, appointed apart from a commissioner, to stand for them and to speak their voices.

Governor Bala is passionate about quality education because appointing Dr Aliyu Tilde as Commissioner for Education indicates that. But I don’t know the wisdom behind the termination of the sponsorship of 200 students of Malikiyya College of Health whose sponsorship was offered by the previous administration. Some of them had to give up schooling for a lack of financial capacity.

In the same vein, international scholarship, which is obtainable in sister stateslike Kano (where super-intelligent students are sponsored to study abroad), has been terminated. The local scholarship was paid only once and partially disbursed to only a few students whose institutions are in Bauchi State. Similarly, I don’t know if His Excellency is aware that the medical bond given to medical students as stipends by the previous administration has been disrupted, despite the challenges of the health sector. As the saying goes, “Health is wealth” and “education is the backbone of every development”. These students are an asset to our society. Thus, however much is invested in them will eventually payback. His Excellency needs to ponder on this.

On the issue of salaries, there still exists a problem. Not only that, people worry why despite death, retirement and a record of no employment, there has been an exponential rise in the Bauchi State wage bill from N4.5 billion to N7billion?  I’m not unaware of the fact that to address the challenges on the issue, the governor, on Thursday, September 10th, 2020, hosted a Media Parley with civil servants, labour leaders, government officials, elder statesmen, stakeholders and the media where massive corruption in the system was exposed. But recommendations were made by the financial consulting firm, DYNATECH Solutions Limited, contracted by the state government, but nothing seems to be improving. Some civil servants still spend months without a salary. They are suffocating.

Some people tell the governor that no government is without fault; every government comes with its shortcoming. Frankly, in Bauchi State, it comes with any flaws but not issues of salaries because Bauchi is a civil servants state. We like His Excellency, but we fear his opponents will use this to their advantage and campaign against him.

On the other hand, business people in the state have also been registering their discontent. His Excellency may have forgotten that during his campaign at Central Market, Bauchi, he promised that, if elected, he would inject into the annual budget,  Five Hundred Million Naira (500 000 000) earmarked as a loan to business people in the state. I believe this will be a good initiative and will help improve business. But, alas, three years have gone, and it is yet to be actualised. 

Similarly, His Excellency should begin to see to the welfare of his people, especially politicians who had made sacrifices to ensure that he comes on board. Honestly, many of them are not better than those in opposition party, despite their contributions and closeness to this government. These people may not summon the courage to tell the governor, but they open up when you speak to them off the record. Therefore, you cannot accuse them of anticipating a payoff from the government they brought in. Let me borrow Mahmud Jega’s words: to accuse a politician of expecting something in return from the government they supported and brought in is like accusing a person who attends prayers of expecting to be rewarded in the hereafter.

There are many ways these people can be helped. Why not learn from Jigawa State by giving them small-small contracts? Say, Mr. “A” bring the furniture to SSG’s office, give him N500 000;  Mr. “B” provide fuel for official cars in the governor’s office, 1 000 000; Mr. “C” bring chemicals for washing toilets in the government house;  produce chairs in primary schools;  build bathroom among others. Don’t give them a contract above N5 Million. They will still appreciate and be contented. With this, money will be circulating among people, thereby increasing the welfare of all and sundry. Being a staunch supporter of this government, I don’t want to believe that the contract is for “family and friends”, a slogan this administration is taunted with. 

Finally, I commiserate with the governor on his defeat in the recent PDP Presidential Primary Election. Keep the dream alive; the future holds a lot. We still need him as the executive governor of our dear state. One year is enough for him to remedy the observations mentioned above, which I raised out of concern.

My best wishes.

Maijama’a, Faculty of Communication, Bayero University, Kano. He can be reached via sulaimanmaija@gmail.com.

By Muhammad Umar

This is the beginning of my participation in politics to the fullest, especially on social media. I am gradually learning one or two things from both the recorded victories and failures in some instances. I believe it’s unarguably a fact that, in it (politics), you either be on the winning or losing sides.

In times of political victory, you become so excited as if the happiness will never end. Likewise, failure makes you feel uncomfortable or like nothing is enjoyable to you in the entire world. You become frustrated. Some can even get out of their senses and do something regrettable without awareness.

Thus, some lessons I have so far learned are: 

1. Be careful of what you say, write and post on social media because it might one day come back and haunt you. Make sure whatever you write doesn’t involve insulting/harsh words and terms that can downgrade your integrity in the eyes of your followers and friends in struggle. 

2. Learn to be patient in whatever situation you find yourself in. Sometimes you might be provoked by the commentary of some people (your opponents). Be conscious of your wordings while responding to them in times like that. Though it’s not any comment worth your attention, you can neglect some of them to allow peace to reign. 

3. Choose whom to follow and associate with while participating in political activities. This could include your political mentors, guardians and other friends in struggle. Because sometimes, you could meet somebody who can help you, i.e. someone who can be a reason for you to become somebody in life. But if you choose the wrong person, they can be a disaster for you and your political carrier.

Please, be politically wise and active in all the activities that could bring changes to your (our) societies.

Regards!

Muhammad Umar wrote via muhammadumardanmasani@gmail.com.

By Kasim Isa Muhammad

Since 1999, the people of Yobe have continued to give mandates to the ruling party, what is now known as the All Progressive Congress (APC), hoping that their lives will be better on all fronts- particularly in the education sector. Unfortunately, the Yobe education sector is known to be one of the worst in the nation. This is manifested by a legacy of dilapidated blocks of classrooms, a lack of laboratories; a lack of teachers; no teacher promotions, and the list goes on. 

With the emergence of Mai-Mala Buni as the Governor in 2019, he, on the inaugural date, in the most dramatic manner, convinced the nation that the education sector in Yobe is rotten-Yes, rotten! He declared what was known as an “emergency” in the sector. He announced his aim and gathered a committee to work out a plan for the sector. Millions of naira were spent on meetings, travel, and photography on a matter that a single administrative circular could have solved. 

Two years into the administration of Buni, not a single milestone was made in the education sector. The State Basic Education Board could not recruit trackers, teachers’ promotions stalled, teachers’ salaries were mutilated, and the hardworking principal of secondary schools was bullied by the business that leads the ministry of education. The sad news continues, and the peak was the video of Fika Government Secondary School that rattled the government. One could ask, what exactly is the problem? Is Buni the problem, or is his team at the peak of insubordination?

One of the most dramatic events that put the Yobe education sector in the spot was the case of the Buni Foreign Scholarship Scheme (BFSS), a scheme managed by a few of Buni’s trusted men. BFSS is characterised by poor stipend payment, poor academic quality, etc. Today, the BFSS is still a problem that will continue to make the Buni government unpopular and give the opposition a chance to punch the APC hard.

The local scholarship allowance is also an area where there is a hitched to pin network of students and their families to dispense protest votes against Buni and give the upper hand to opposition parties like the New Nigeria People’s Party (NNPP). It was only last week when NNPP moved to consolidate its gains by inviting Stand Up and Be Involved (SUBI) to adopt its party and contest all elections. Should this partnership work as planned, the APC will likely experience the most effective and fierce opposition in its history in Yobe State. 

The local scholarship allowance payment has been epileptic, inconsistent, and marred by a lack of competence in leadership. One can quickly note that this administration has provided the most inexperienced and inefficient leadership of the board in the history of Yobe. No one knows if the Yobe State Scholarships Board (YSSB) has adequate access to its budgetary allocations. If, in any case, it has access to funds, who can defend Buni or his proxy at the head of the YSSB for the lack of payment of local scholarship allowances? An act that even the military administration did well in Yobe! 

One might wonder if paying for local scholarships was related to the massive fund-raising effort for the 2023 elections. It is terrific, and only in APC’s Yobe State one can find people heading a government parastatal that failed to perform in contesting elections. Does this mean that Buni is impressed with the performance of the scandal-marred YSSB? 

Buni needs to know that there is significant dissatisfaction with his administration and team. Everything that the government does seems suspicious such as the maiden Education Appeal Fund, where billions of Naira were accumulated. Whether Buni knew or knew not, there is speculation on the ground that the education fund was a cover to grasp financial muscles to fight for the 2023 elections. Whether true or political, this sentiment makes up the opposition, and the chances to pin the people against the APC are high. It has always been easy to blackmail a government that cares less about its spending, budget performance, and revenue base. 

It is, however, clear that whatever sterling personal qualities a governor may have, of which Buni has many, the chances of failure can be significant. The popular opinion is that Buni is highly unlikely to succeed with his existing team. Buni must change gears and relate to reality on the ground and begin to listen to others rather than his yes-men. Those who tell him that he is always right even when he is wrong—for no one can always be right. We are calling for Buni to search for a new effective team should the 2023 election tide blow in his favour. Whereas the YSSB Chairman has a dual and conflicting constituency that rests with the constituents to decide. Ultimately, the YSSB has failed the children of the poor. 

Kasim Isa Muhammad wrote from Potiskum, Yobe State via kasimimuhd1999@gmail.com.