Uba Sani

By Abdullahi Mukhtar Algasgaini 

Governor Uba Sani of Kaduna State has revealed that N4.7 billion is being deducted from the state government’s federal allocation each month to pay off debts he inherited. 

He said, “In Kaduna, we are paying N4.7 billion in debt every month; go and check and see our allocation. You will agree with me that we started paying this debt in June 2023. Currently, what we are receiving is about N8 billion, while we should be receiving around N12 billion compared to what other states are getting within Northern Nigeria. 

“We are trying our best to manage what we have. Yes, I agree with you that governance is about reducing costs. Since I became governor, I have maintained that we have not purchased a single vehicle for anyone—whether myself, the Deputy Governor, or my commissioners. We have also reduced the performance bonuses and salaries of our commissioners and the Deputy Governor. Today, I am only receiving half of my salary because we have to make sacrifices, considering the challenges we face. 

“People may ask about our IGR (Internally Generated Revenue). Our IGR account is with Zenith Bank; you can check it. Every month, Zenith Bank deducts about N800 million at source because I inherited that debt.” 

By Abdullahi Mukhtar Algasgaini

The Kaduna State Security Council under the leadership of Governor Uba Sani, after a thorough review of the security situation in Kaduna and Zaria towns and environs, has unanimously agreed to relax the 24-hour curfew earlier imposed on Monday 4th August 2024.

By this review, the curfew will now be in effect from 6pm to 8am daily. This implies that citizens may move freely and carry out their legitimate activities between 8am and 6pm, and will revert to the curfew from 6pm to 8am

The Kaduna State Security Council reiterates its total commitment to the peace and security of the State, and will continue to take all steps deemed necessary for their preservation.

Furthermore, the security forces will continue to vigorously enforce the curfew from 6pm to 8am, and will be decisive in confronting actions which may lead to a breakdown of law and order during periods of movement as well as restriction.

By Anas Abbas

The Kaduna State Security Council, led by Governor Uba Sani, has imposed a 24-hour curfew on Kaduna and Zaria metropolitan cities, effective immediately.

This decision comes after a review of the state’s security situation, which revealed that ongoing protests have been hijacked by criminal elements.

According to the council, these criminal elements have resorted to looting shops and destroying private and public property. To maintain safety and security, citizens are advised to remain indoors while security forces work to contain the situation.

The curfew will be continuously monitored, with the possibility of review as necessary. The Kaduna State Government has urged citizens to cooperate with security forces to restore peace and order in the affected areas.

This development follows a wave of protests that have turned violent, prompting concerns about public safety. The government’s swift response aims to prevent further escalation and protect citizens’ lives and property.

By Anwar Usman

Kaduna State governor, Uba Sani, has expressed concern over the rising cases of out-of-school children, poverty and other socioeconomic problems in the North, stating that the region was on the verge of collapsing if the leaders do not come together to find solutions to the challenges.

Sani raised the alarm during a courtesy visit by the National Chairman of the Arewa Consultative Forum (ACF), Mamman Usman to Kaduna State.

He said, “This new executive committee has emerged at a time of great challenges. We are confronted with difficult developmental and security questions. Criminal elements have been laying siege to communities in the North and reversing our progress on multiple fronts. Our development deficits are scary and require urgent attention.

“In 2022, the Federal Government of Nigeria through the National Bureau of Statistics launched its most extensive measure of multidimensional poverty. The survey revealed that 63% of persons living within Nigeria (that is about 133 million people) are multi-dimensionally poor. 65% of the poor (that is 86 million people) live in the North, while 35% (nearly 47 million) live in the South.

He further states that, “The North is not succeeding in any in the area of Education. The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) puts the number of out-of-school children in Nigeria at 18.3 million. Of this outrageous number of out-of-school children, about 70% are in the North of Nigeria. This is quite disturbing and must worry all of us who still care for the North and Nigeria in general.“

As I mentioned earlier, insecurity in the North has retarded developments in the critical sectors. a lot of farmers cannot access their farms. Food insecurity now confronts us directly. Child and maternal mortality are on the increase. Our infrastructure has decayed. The moves to address our infrastructural deficits are equally threatened by insecurity.

“For the North and move decisively to change these negative development indices. Unfortunately, what we see in the North is the promotion of toxic politics, opposition for opposition’s sake, and “pull him down syndrome.

“We indulge in endless blame games, devoid of attempts at soul searching or introspection. We have failed to ask ourselves some vital questions. Where did the rain start beating the North? Who are those complicit in the underdevelopment of the North?

“The Arewa Consultative Forum has a major role to play in building this required consensus for the best approach to tackle the multifaceted challenges facing Northern Nigeria. ACF must make efforts to refocus the attention of our people. Let us de-emphasise politics and focus on development. Let us gear our efforts towards overcoming the threats with all the energy we can muster”.

By Mubarak Usman

“The sign of a good Friday can be determined by a promising Wednesday.” – Hausa adage

It has been over one year since Senator Uba Sani was sworn in as the governor of Kaduna State. The honeymoon days are over, and it is time to start interrogating Governor Uba Sani’s policies, decisions, actions or inactions.

Spin doctors, sycophants, party members, and admirers are all at work trying to outdo one another in celebrating Governor Sani, which is the best thing to have happened to Kaduna state since the invention of sliced bread. Strategic locations within the Kaduna metropolis are not left behind, with erected billboards showcasing real and ‘audio’ projects or achievements.

In his acceptance speech after being declared as the winner of the 2023 gubernatorial election of Kaduna state, Senator Uba Sani thanked the people of Kaduna for voting him into power and promised to “get straight to work on sustaining and strengthening the development path that our beloved leader Malam Nasir El-Rufai has so brilliantly opened for Kaduna State. I thank Malam Nasir El-Rufai and his executive team for their collective efforts since 2015 to build the foundations for a new Kaduna State. Power is sweet, but it comes with responsibilities!

When people expect Governor Uba Sani to hit the ground running, his lacklustre approach to governance begins to manifest. He is just absent. He could not just sit to spearhead the State Executive Council meetings regularly. In his defence, his spin doctors claimed that the government does not revolve around him alone. Bello Galadanchi, the skit creator, made a witty skit about this absentism.

The governor called for a stakeholders’ engagement meeting to explain the state of affairs. He complained about the debt profile left behind by the previous administration and how it has been hindering his progress or performance. This is a ruse!

Governor Uba Sani did not explain how he contributed to the state’s massive debt profile. Politicians like him would think the populace is suffering from amnesia, so the collective intelligence of the good people of Kaduna state can be insulted.

First, the former governor of Kaduna state, Nasir el-Rufai, sought foreign loans to finance projects in the state. The loan was denied courtesy of the three (3) senators from Kaduna state during the 8th National Assembly. El-Rufai deployed all his arsenals to ensure none of the three senators returned to the 9th Assembly. And only Senator Danjuma Laah survived El-Rufai’s political onslaught.

Senator Uba Sani was drafted into the 9th Assembly to secure the now problematic loan. Responding to questions thrown at him during an interview, he said: “I am extremely happy and proud of the role some of us played in securing this loan for Kaduna State.” He did not stop there!

He said, “I, Senator Uba Sani, be held liable if the Governor [El-Rufai] fails or disappoints.” Will he now claim he did not know who El-Rufai was when entrusted with public funds? What is his share of the blame in the quagmire Kaduna? When Governors were praising the floating of the Naira by President Tinubu, did Governor Sani realise the implications of such a policy on the loans he helped secure? It is a classic case of shooting oneself on foot, double standards and hypocrisy characterised by politicians.

Secondly, a government complaining about a huge debt profile should not be seen engaging in non-priority projects like building a banquet hall in Sir Kashim Ibrahim House. The Government House has a council chamber for its functions, and so does the deputy governor’s office. Where the chamber isn’t enough for a state function due to population, the Umaru Musa Yar’adua Hall in Murtala Mohammed Square can serve the purpose in whatever capacity. This is not to mention the hall domiciled in General Hassan Usman Katsina House.

This new banquet hall is being built while many abandoned road projects in Zaria and Kaduna metropolis yearn for serious attention. These roads have caused untoward discomfort, accidents, and health hazards to commuters. Keen observers are still in the dark regarding the bidding or procurement processes leading to the award of such a misplaced project. Where is the transparency and accountability? Are we now experiencing the birth of another version of the now scandalous Ronchess and CCECC?

Despite the many mistakes of the previous administration, the Kaduna State Geographical Information Services (KADGIS) was more effective and efficient in handling customers’ queries or problems. Receiving certificates of occupancy (CofO) wasn’t a difficult task. Under the current administration in one year, people are becoming hopeless as hushed and loud voices or conversations within and without the agency have it that the governor is globetrotting and doesn’t have enough time to append his signature on certificates. One shudder to think how a government crying about debt profiles will take the affairs of such a revenue-generating agency lightly. There is more.

When appointing the head of the agency, KADGIS, the governor bucked the KADGIS Law and employed someone who did not meet the requirements as provided by the Law. This cluelessness was also exhibited in the appointment of other agencies. One would wonder where the state House of Assembly members are in all these. Are they the typical rubber stamp legislators? Your guess is as good as mine.

Loans upon loans. The Kaduna state government targets loans of about N150 billion in the 2024 state budget. I hope the State House of Assembly will diligently carry out its oversight functions as the governor moves to the rural areas. We have been witnessing groundbreaking ceremonies here and there, but the procurement processes, from advertisement to contract awarding, are unclear. The State House of Assembly should save the state, the next legislature, and the Kaduna people the stress of probing this current administration some years from now by carrying out their oversight functions. Can they? Time will tell.

Furthermore, running tap water is still a luxury in the state. Many in the metropolis now roam the streets searching for water to drink or bath, not to mention more people living outside the metropolis. Clairvoyant analysts suggest that some of these monies expended in the name of palliative should have been channelled to Kaduna State Water Corporation to make tap water available in people’s homes. Therefore, the House of Assembly should also shed light on these issues and the N11.4 billion disbursed in the name of palliative interventions. Who were the beneficiaries? What are the expected outcomes? How many people were lifted out of poverty caused by inflation and the APC-led government policies?

Again, Kaduna state has the lowest-paid medical doctors and health practitioners and a difficult and depressing working environment. These conditions have made these professionals quit their jobs for better offers in neighbouring states. Junketing out of the state at the slightest opportunity and under the guise of wooing foreign and local investors will not change these stark realities. This media show should end with the governor’s predecessor and now estranged boss.

The problems highlighted above are just a dot in the circle of nagging issues disturbing the good people of Kaduna state. Obviously, the governor only gets to meet praise singers, so he is not popular beyond sycophants, his appointees, and hungry rented crowds. There are more reasons why discerning citizens should write more articles about Kaduna state to remind them of the public perception of his government.

Finally, Governor Sani has the opportunity to sit up, evaluate his current team, and make adjustments before he and his team find themselves in a web of scandals after his administration. The good people of Kaduna need responsible and purpose-driven leadership, not excuses and the hazy governance that has characterised his 365 days in office.

Mubarak Usman writes from Unguwar Muazu, Kaduna.

By Bilyamin Abdulmumin

Since 2007, when the two-term tenure of Fourth Republic governors ended, one godfather crisis or another has occurred. The outgoing clung on to the anointing for several reasons: influence in godson administration, protection from their misgovernance, or, last and least for many godfathers, continuity (although it is the most important factor for good governance). 

The surprising succession crisis brewing recently involved Uba Sani and Nasir El-Rufai. It was unexpected because El-Rufai did not appear to be interfering with the Kaduna government. Unlike Wike, El-Rufai, known for reading and writing books, might have learned the lesson from previous cases, but Sani took the fight to his door. 

Uba Sani shook the table when, in a town hall meeting (apparently held to burst the bubble), he lamented the burden of loans he inherited and decried the lack of money not only for infrastructure development but also for threatening the state’s ability to meet its current expenditures.

That outburst was followed by mixed reactions. Some commentators point to hindsight, stating that it was their prophecy that came to pass. But for some, it was a big trouble for Uba Sani because, according to this category, he was given the green light to become a senator for one thing: to pave the way for getting the loan. So, this category sees Uba Sani as an accomplice rather than a victim. They unearthed his videos eulogising El-Rufai, which trended. 

The double trouble for Sani was that the effect of the loss was visible in Kaduna state, so wowing the public became an uphill task. However, the current dollar-to-naira exchange rate compared to when the loan was secured is rather unfortunate.

 One primary beneficiary of this situation is Shehu Sani. The former senator of Kaduna Central used the situation to settle scores. He took the case on social media, profiling himself vindicated. 

On the contrary, a Nigerian figure who will be taken aback by the looming political crisis in Kaduna state is his eminent Sanusi Lamido Sanusi. During the KADINVEST 7.0, SLM extols marvellous achievements in Lagos state thanks to the continuity. 

Bola Ahmed Tinubu laid the foundation for the modern Lagos state, which Fashola built upon. When Ambode came continued, but when he wanted to digress, it cost him his second term ticket (this can happen in Lagos, where a serving governor failed a primary election); the fruit of continuity is just bearing fruit in Lagos state under Babajide Sonwo-Olu. 

Uba Sani was shown nodding his head in belief during the SLS lecture. I told myself that Kaduna is lucky because if Uba Sani could only service the debt and continue with some uncompleted buildings, Kaduna would be great. 

El-Rufai remained quiet in the saga, unlike his disquieted son Bashir El-Rufai, who was a junior to Bello El-Rufai. Several commentators confuse Bashir with Bello- the current serving house Rep. The latter was cut between the devil and the deep blue sea, he recently gave an interview in which he eulogised Uba Sani as his mentor, mentioning how Sani paved the way for him, not his father. He even mentioned something philosophical: if anyone wants to go far, he can’t dare join issues with his master; someone aware of this philosophy must be tied down between supporting his father or his boss.

A theory explaining Sani’s outburst with El-Rufai was that the former was being cajoled by the presidency. With no love lost between El-Rufai and the presidency, he must part ways with his boss.  

Apart from the godfather himself, loyalties are a major factor fanning the flames of discord. The outgoing lieutenant’s influence will be hanging in the balance while the new government loyalties stampede to establish their loyalty to the new government. It becomes a struggle for survival. 

In the reactionary salvo that Kaduna state women leaders fire on Uba Sani, reading in-between the line, one could easily figure out self-serving because she decried how Sani has not been responding to her requests.

 The leaders involved in such a situation are in a delicate balance. They need deliberate effort to piece together the puzzle (provided that it is not too late); otherwise, the matter will blow out of proportion.

Bilyamin Abdulmumin wrote via bilal4riid13@gmail.com.

By Uzair Adam Imam 

Kaduna State Governor, Senator Uba Sani, has said that more than 1,500 schools across the state, particularly in the eight frontline local government areas, are without proper fencing. 

Speaking to stakeholders from all 23 local government areas, Governor Sani stated the urgency of addressing this issue for the safety and security of students. 

The governor unveiled a plan to address this shortfall by enlisting the support of prominent Kaduna-based business figures, Alhaji Adamu Atta of Fifth Chucker and Alhaji Bukar Shettima of Barbados.  

Together, they will fund the construction of fences for 100 schools as part of the Safe School Initiative.  

Governor Sani noted that education is a top priority for his administration, seeing it as the key to unlocking potential and opportunity. 

The need for action became even more apparent following a tragic incident in Kuriga, where 137 children were kidnapped.  

Governor Sani cited this event as a catalyst for a comprehensive assessment of school infrastructure across the state, revealing a dire need for security measures, particularly in junior secondary and primary schools. 

Highlighting security as paramount, Governor Sani commended the efforts of the service chiefs, singling out the Chief of Defence Staff for establishing a military base in Kachia. 

By Uzair Adam Imam

Shehu Sani, the former Senator representing Kaduna Central, has raised the alarm over the suffocating debt burden gripping Kaduna State under the administration of former Governor Nasir El-Rufai.

Sani expressed regret that his warnings against El-Rufai’s aggressive borrowing were ignored, leading the state into a financial crisis of significant proportions.

Speaking to reporters, Sani highlighted the dire consequences of the debt accumulation, emphasizing that if his advice had been heeded, the state would not be grappling with the current predicament.

He recalled facing criticism for opposing a $350 million World Bank loan sought by the El-Rufai administration, foreseeing the looming challenges now faced by the state.

Governor Uba Sani, in a recent town hall meeting, disclosed that the state inherited a staggering debt of $587 million, ₦85 billion, and ₦115 billion in contractual liabilities from the previous administration.

This heavy financial burden has severely hampered the state’s ability to meet its financial obligations, including salary payments.

The current administration disclosed that a substantial portion of the state’s federal allocation is being diverted toward servicing the debt, leaving insufficient funds for essential expenditures such as salary payments.

With the sharp increase in exchange rates, the amount being repaid has almost tripled, exacerbating the financial strain on the state.

Out of the N10 billion received as federal allocation in March, N7 billion was deducted to service the state’s debt, leaving only N3 billion available.

However, this amount falls short of covering the state’s monthly salary bill of N5.2 billion, further exacerbating the financial crisis.

Sani cautioned that the repercussions of the state’s debt burden are now being felt acutely, underscoring the urgent need for concerted efforts to address the financial challenges facing Kaduna State.

By Uzair Adam Imam

Governor Uba Sani of Kaduna State recently spoke at a town hall meeting, shedding light on the hurdles impeding his administration’s ability to pay workers’ salaries.

Sani attributed this predicament to the substantial debts inherited from his predecessor, Nasir El-Rufai.

During the meeting, Sani revealed that his administration inherited a colossal debt burden totaling $587 million, N85 billion, and 115 contractual liabilities from the previous government.

He disclosed that a significant portion of the federal allocation for Kaduna State in March, amounting to N7 billion out of N10 billion, was diverted to service the state’s debt.

Consequently, only N3 billion remained to cover expenses, falling short of the state’s monthly salary bill of N5.2 billion.

Sani emphasized the adverse effects of the exchange rate fluctuations, resulting in the state paying back nearly triple the amount borrowed by the previous administration.

Despite these challenges, he asserted that his administration had refrained from borrowing any funds in the past nine months.

The governor underscored his commitment to steering Kaduna State towards progress and sustainable development despite the inherited debt burden.

He highlighted key priority areas for his government, including safety and security, housing, education, healthcare, and support for micro, small, and medium enterprises.

Additionally, he pledged to prioritize inclusive development by investing in human capital, stimulating the economy, and providing affordable housing.

By Sabiu Abdullahi 

Sheikh Bala Lau, the national leader of Jama’atu Izalatul Bid’ah wa Ikamatus Sunnah (JIBWIS), has expressed commendation for Governor Uba Sani of Kaduna State for his dedication to the social welfare of the citizens. 

The commendation came during the closing ceremony of the annual Quranic recitation competition held in Kaduna on Sunday. 

Sheikh Bala Lau, appreciating the governor for his monetary donations and other gifts awarded to winners across various competition categories, stated that Governor Sani has showcased a sincere commitment to enhancing citizens’ lives through numerous initiatives. 

A statement released by his spokesman, Muhammad Lawal Shehu, highlighted the governor’s gesture of providing Hajj seats to the best two overall candidates from the male and female categories for the 2024 exercise. 

Encouraging Muslims to integrate Quranic teachings into their daily lives, Sheikh Bala Lau noted the transformative power of the Quran in all aspects of life.

He urged the faithful to embrace its wisdom and guidance beyond challenging circumstances. 

Addressing concerns raised by clerics about the inadequate handling of pilgrims’ welfare in previous Hajj seasons, Governor Uba Sani took decisive action by announcing the formation of a committee. 

The committee’s purpose is to ensure a seamless and improved pilgrimage experience for the future, addressing the welfare issues raised by the clerics. 

Governor Uba Sani’s proactive measures and commitment to citizens’ well-being have received praise not only from the religious community but also from those anticipating positive changes in the management of future Hajj exercises.