Be Wary of Politicians Posing As Activists, Sani Tells Journalists

John Shiklam in Kaduna

Kaduna State Governor, Senator Uba Sani, has urged journalists to be wary of politicians masquerading as activists, alleging that some political actors were exploiting activism to undermine Nigeria’s democracy.
The governor spoke on Thursday night while hosting journalists to a Ramadan breaking of fast at the Government House in Kaduna.
Sani said the nation’s democratic system faces threats from politicians who resort to activism only when government policies and decisions do not favour them.
He urged journalists to remain vigilant and resist attempts by elements seeking to manipulate public opinion and destabilise the democratic process.
Sani noted that journalists played a historic role in Nigeria’s struggle for democracy, stressing that they must not allow the sacrifices made during that period to be eroded.
“When we were in the struggle, we the civil rights activists relied mostly on journalists. Most of them lost their freedom, and some even lost their lives when we were fighting for democracy,” he said.
According to him, the evolution of democracy in Nigeria cannot be discussed without recognising the significant contributions made by journalists during the era of military rule.
“Nigerians cannot talk of democracy today without the contribution of journalists. So, you have to be vigilant about this category of politicians who are conflict merchants,” he said.
He called on media professionals to closely scrutinise politicians who now present themselves as activists despite their previous association with undemocratic regimes.
“These are people who were not with us during the struggle. Many of them were actually partnering with military dictators. Today, from nowhere, they are trying to teach us democracy,” the governor said.
He also accused such politicians of deepening divisions in the country by focusing on issues of ethnicity and religion rather than addressing pressing development challenges.
Sani said, “Rather than talk about healthcare, education, human capital development, infrastructure, unemployment and poverty, they dwell on ethnicity and religion which divide the country.”
The governor also used the occasion to highlight achievements recorded by his administration in Kaduna State over the past two and a half years.
He said available records indicated that 12 local government areas in the state had no single kilometre of road constructed for about 10 years before his administration assumed office.
According to him, his government has since extended development projects to all 23 local government areas in the state in a bid to promote equity and balanced development.
On healthcare, the governor disclosed that only five of the state’s 32 secondary hospitals were functional when his administration assumed office. He added that 15 of the hospitals are currently undergoing renovation, remodelling and equipping.
Sani further stated that the number of out of school children in Kaduna State has dropped significantly from 580,000 to about 182,000.
He added that the government is collaborating with development partners, including UNICEF and the Islamic Development Bank, to construct 102 additional schools as part of efforts to further reduce the figure.