Abba Kabir Yusuf: Daring the detractors 

By Mu’azu Adamu

“Our dear state, Kano is one of the oldest in Nigeria, a state with rich culture and history, a state that enjoys tremendous amount of respect all over the world.

A state that sets all the good examples for others to follow. All these were thrown to the winds by the last administration. We are all aware of the embarrassments that the Ganduje administration has brought to the office of the Governor and by extension, to the entire people of Kano State – all negative perceptions as a result of crude corruption, land grabbing, and poor governance.

This perception has to change. And the time to change it is now. We shall work together to change this narrative and promote Kano positively.”

These were the words of Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf before an unprecedented crowd of supporters and well-wishers just after he had taken the oath of office, at the Sani Abacha Stadium on May 29, 2023.

True to his belief, I believe that there is a breath of fresh air around Kano State within the one year three months of Abba Kabir Yusuf’s stewardship of the arguably the most populous state in Nigeria. Citizens and residents of Kano State now have the comfort of seeing so many ongoing infrastructural projects that cut across different sectors, the peace of knowing that their resources are judiciously used for scholarships, gratuity and pension and empowerment initiatives. Most importantly, the people of the state now know that every point of order they raise regarding the handling of the business of leadership goes straight to the right ears and is not met by a tone-deaf leadership that feels to obligation to be accountable to its people.

After a fierce 7-year long struggle to free Kano from the shackles of a kleptomaniac dynasty reign of the Gandujes, the NNPP-led government came in with a lot of promise to right the wrongs and instil a new sense of hope and confidence in elected authority in Kano State. Governor Abba made the Kano State Reformatory Institute, Kiru his first port of call after inauguration. This institute, established by the Kwankwaso-led administration to reform and reintegrate drug addicts abandoned for long, and its purpose was lost.

This was the story of other specialized institutes all over the state between 2015-23. Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf has now successfully renovated the institute with enrolment to begin soon. This has been replicated for the 25 other institutes in the state.

One thing that stands out for the Abba Kabir-led government is its dedication to education. The first major initiative that the government pursued after its inception was the sponsorship of over 1000 first-class graduates to different institutions in India and Uganda. This will not only add to the pool of excellent masters degree holders in Kano, but will open them to being gainfully employed in different sectors around the world.

The declaration of the State of Emergency on Education by the governor exposed two attributes of himself; The admission that a problem exists is not something you could easily get out of many of the present crop of leaders that we have in this Nigeria. The open desire to embrace the shortcomings and correct them is also a demonstration of uncommon leadership.

The governor immediately set to work by permanently employing 5,632 teachers under the Better Education Service Delivery for All (BESDA) programme, a World Bank initiative which aims at increasing equitable access for out-of-school children in Nigeria and improve literacy in focus states. The governor equally reopened all public boarding schools closed by the administration of former Governor Abdullahi Umar Ganduje across the state.

As we speak, there is an ongoing drive all around the state where classrooms are renovated, under the Community Re-orientation Committee (CRC). According to the governor, out of the 42,516 total classrooms available in basic schools in the state, a mere 22% meet the most basic standards of habitability.

The rot and gross mismanagement superintended by the previous administration for eight years should normally leave one confused and clueless about where to start from and how to restore confidence in political leadership. One sector that is having a breath of life is road infrastructure provision. The first step taken by Governor Abba Kabir was to mobilise contractors back to work, this has enabled the governor to complete the first phase of the Wuju-Wuju road, the fully solar-powered 5-kilometre road in Gwarzo local government is a model for rural rebirth, as work is ongoing in most local government areas of the state to replicate it.

We are seeing work ongoing on important roads in the state like the Lodge Road-Race Course Road, Unguwar Dabai road, the 15km road from Madobi town to Kubarachi to Kura, and the 70km road from Madobi bridge to Madobi town, through Yako to Kafin Mai Yaki, culminating in Kiru. These are few examples of life-changing projects that the administration is currently pursuing.

There is a recent resurgence of nightlife in Kano which does not come as a coincidence. Governor Abba Kabir has made a conscious effort to energise roads all over the metropolis with solar powered streetlights, this has not only brought life and beautified roads all over the state, but helped in curbing crimes like phone-snatching that was rife on the metropolitan roads. The initiative has also encouraged the people of the state to go about their legitimate business through late hours.

All these have however not come easy for Governor Abba, after laying siege on his concentration to governance through the needless court battle that took more than seven good months, the enemies of Kano State have found their haven in the Kano Emirate saga. On May 23, 2024, The Governor of Kano State, Abba Yusuf, reinstated the deposed Emir o Kano, Muhammadu Sanusi II, in fulfilment of his campaign promise. Mr Yusuf also signed the bill repealing the State Emirate Council Law 2019 that gave the state five emirate councils. This move, a demonstration that the governor was galvanising all the individuals and systems that would give him the backing to restore Kano’s lost glory was met by an incredible show of disregard for constituted authority by Alhaji Aminu Ado Bayero’s occupation of the Nassarawa Guest House.

I am concerned that Bayero’s continued stay there gives people with nefarious intent the shade to strategize and ferment violence on the innocent. The recent vandalization of the Kano State High Court Complex, the NCC Digital Park and the Kano State Printing Press amongst others, has been creditably established to have been masterminded by elements with close links to the ranks of Mr Bayero’s hippodrome. It is therefore very pertinent that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu calls the those close to him that are providing the deposed emir with security and financial backing to order, Governor Abba’s reign is just a fraction in Kano’s history, and that history will not remember the president well for his alleged role in this imbroglio.

The good people of Kano State must remember the happiness of students whose tuition fees were settled by Governor Abba, the pensioners that are receiving their gratuities without cutting any corner, the millions of women and children that are receiving free healthcare in state government-owned hospitals, the thousands of farmers that got free fertiliser, the children that are finding hope in the renovation of their schools and everyone positively touched by his compassionate leadership. Each government comes with its peculiarity, Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf holds a lot of promise to restore Kano’s lost glory, he is focused on the goal, and we must have his back to steer us to prosperity.

Mu’azu Adamu writes from Kano