Northern Leaders Cannot Escape Blame For Region’s Backwardness — Uba Sani

Kaduna State Governor, Uba Sani, has stated political leaders who held public workplace in Northern Nigeria since 1999 should share accountability for the area’s developmental challenges, together with its excessive variety of out-of-school youngsters.

Sani made the remarks whereas defending President Bola Tinubu’s efficiency, arguing that the area’s longstanding issues shouldn’t be blamed solely on an administration that took workplace in May 2023.

“I’m a northerner, and I’m telling you that anybody who held position, whether a governor, minister, senator, vice president, you should be ready to take blame,” he stated.

The governor cited figures indicating that Nigeria had about 18 million out-of-school youngsters in 2023, with roughly 70 per cent of them dwelling in Northern Nigeria.

He questioned why Tinubu ought to bear sole accountability for an schooling disaster that had continued for many years.

Sani additionally stated Kaduna State had about 550,000 out-of-school youngsters when he assumed workplace in 2023, claiming that his administration had returned 300,000 of them to lecture rooms.

He urged politicians to cease counting on regional id to win votes, saying voters in Northern Nigeria ought to choose candidates by their data in public workplace.

“The people of Northern Nigeria are very smart. You cannot come to them and tell them, ‘Vote for me because I’m a northerner.’ They will never vote for you. They can only vote for you based on your track record,” he stated.

To help his defence of Tinubu’s administration, Sani highlighted federal highway initiatives throughout the North-East and North-West.

He stated greater than 348 kilometres of roads had been accomplished within the North-East, whereas about 3,100 kilometres have been beneath building, with roughly 1,800 kilometres nearing 90 per cent completion.

In the North-West, he stated greater than 342 kilometres of roads had been accomplished, whereas one other 1,042 kilometres have been nearing 90 per cent completion.

On schooling financing, the governor stated greater than 414,000 college students from the North-West had benefited from the Nigerian Education Loan Fund, with about N84 billion allotted to the area.

He described the coed mortgage scheme as an intervention for younger individuals from low-income households who would possibly in any other case battle to finance their schooling.

Sani additionally pressured the necessity to develop technical and vocational schooling and coaching, saying abilities improvement was essential to tackling unemployment and creating alternatives for younger individuals.

He maintained that schooling remained central to Northern Nigeria’s improvement, urging political leaders to prioritise insurance policies and programmes that enhance residents’ lives.