Opinion
Re: Kano: Empty Leadership, huge liability
Muhammad Garba
When I read a piece pen down by the sacked chairman of the All People’s Congress (APC), Umar Haruna Doguwa titled:’’ Kano: Empty Leadership, huge liability,’’ I realized that the man, out of desperation, is carelessly ridiculing himself unnecessarily and exposing his candor and witlessness through misrepresentation of facts in the media.
Nobody is envying the embattled former party chieftain from aiming for any office, but definitely not through blackmail and spreading of lies.
One cannot overlook the deliberate distortion of facts on the state of affairs in Kano but to put out a response, because it could also help in dissuading desperate politicians like Doguwa using every opportunity to ensure that the people are deceived, just to achieve a selfish interest.
For those who are closer to Kwankwaso know that he always impose his whims on all and exploit them for his personal benefits against collective interest.
Kano: Empty leadership, huge liability
Even as pioneer APC chairman, you never run the affairs of the party independently talk less of bragging to have organize and coordinate an election.
You were just but a rubber stamp, while your master dictates how things were organized and executed.
Gaduje inherited Kwankwaso’s liabilities
While I absolutely agree with you that Governor Abdullahi Umar Ganduje did promise to continue with the legacies of the immediate-past administration of Senator Rabi’u Musa Kwankwaso, when he assumed the mantle of leadership on May 29, 2015, the governor has kept to his promise in all spheres of governance.
This, he did, by fine-tuning most of the policies and, as well, bringing into bear, innovations that have today crowned Kano as a reference point of good governance in Nigeria and beyond.
As I read the article, I wonder how on earth Doguwa did not mention the huge liabilities Ganduje inherited from the Kwankwaso administration which were discovered by the Transition Committee. Since you were part of the government, you ought to have mention how Kwankwaso, who served his last tenure in office between 2011 and 2015, also introduced unworkable policies and programmes as well as execution of projects without financial backing, which allegedly used them to siphon public funds or to make the state ungovernable for the incoming governor.
At the expiration of his tenure, Kwankwaso left a liability of N313 billion for the incoming government.
With these debts hanging on his neck, Ganduje also assumed office when there was recession, which resulted in reduced federal allocation, dwindling level of Internally Generated Revenue and the slim nature of the state’s treasury which, however, had not deterred him from deploying his wealth of experience to effectively administer the state.
Ganduje’s building projects
Some of these projects include Murala Muhammad Way Bridge, the longest in the country named after the Kano Business mogul, Alhaji Aminu Alhassan Dantata, which was inherited at 15 per cent state of execution which has now been completed, commissioned and put to use; the state Independent Power Project at Tiga and Challawa Dams which was inherited at 35 per cent and now at 95 per cent stage of execution; dualisation of Yahaya Gusau Road left at 10per cent and construction of underpass which was left at 15 percent stages of completion.
In fact, the contract sum of the project has to be revised because of absence of transparency in the project.
Other projects either uncompleted or abandoned but completed by the Ganduje administration include dualisation of ‘Yantaya Kofar Dawanau and rehabilitation of Ahmadiyya Road awarded in 2013; construction of Dorawa Road; construction of Rijiyar Gwangwan Road; Rehabilitation of Yusuf Road.
Ganduje also inherited 665 projects valued at N72 billion from Senator Ibrahim Shekarau’s administration out of which N40 billion was paid leaving an outstanding payment of N33.2 billion.
Two of such projects include the construction of Giginyu Specialist Hospital (now Muhammadu Buhari Specialist Hospital) and Paediatric Hospital Zoo Road (now Khalifa Sheikh Isyaka Rabi’u Paediatric Hospital).
The two hospitals which contracts were awarded in 2007, were abandoned at 35 per cent completion stage respectively.
The Ganduje administration completed the construction, furnishing and equipping of the facilities.
In fact, the two hospitals are one of the best in the country in terms of standard and state-of-art equipment.
Part of the promise made by Governor Ganduje in his inaugural address, which Doguwa failed to complete is that of the initiation of more people oriented policies and programs for the overall development of Kano state.
The noble and modest achievements of the Ganduje administration have, indeed, dismantled the length and breadth of the so-called Kwankwassiyya Movement which has since gone into oblivion.
This is so because the article itself depicted the emptiness of the Kwankwassiyya and its foot soldiers, since they have no genuine criticism against the APC administration in Kano, having been intimidated by the uncommon achievements of the present ruling party in the state.
These projects include construction of an underpass at Sharada/Panshekara Junction completed and commissioned by President Muhammadu Buhari; construction of underpasses along Katsina Road by Muhammadu Buhari Way; nearly completed underpass and flyover along Zaria Road by Dangi Roundabout; ongoing construction of Cancer Centre at Muhammdu Buhari Specialist Hospital; rehabilitation and ashphalt overlay of Burum Burum-Saya Saya-Kibiya-Rano- Bunkure-Karfi Road; Tiga-Rurum-Rano and Rano-Sumaila Roads; construction/dualisation of Court Road (now Rochas Okorocha Road); Abdullahi Bayero Road; dualisation of Maiduguri Road (Opp Mobile Police Qtrs)-CBN Qtrs-Zaria Road; construction of asphaltic concrete surfacing from Gidan Maza-S/Gandu-Western Bypass-Kumbotso town and dualised Panshekara-Madobi Junction-Panshekara town Road among others.
Kwankwaso “killed” education
I am also gladdened that Umar Haruna Doguwa, has offered me a window to also refresh the memory of discernable good people of Kano and Nigerians on how the Kwankwaso administration killed the education sector in Kano.
Kwankwaso abandoned the basic education and that was why Ganduje inherited a dilapidated infrastructure in the sector, with the quality of basic education degenerating, leading to unacceptably low academic performance.
In virtually all public educational institutions, primary secondary or tertiary, classes were overcrowded.
Basic amenities are either lacking or obsolete.
And just as he was about to leave office, Kwankwaso made a mere declaration for ‘free’ education in the state, deviously with the sole intent to leave the encumbrance on the incoming administration of Governor Abdullahi Umar Ganduje.
If Doguwa cares to find out, as at May 29, 2015, there were only 25,000 habitable classrooms out of the 30,000 available, whereas the total requirement in our 3,000 public primary schools is 45, 000 classrooms.
Similarly, there were only 18, 000 toilets as against the total requirement of 35, 000, while 3-seater pupils’ desks were only 198, 832 as against the need of 914, 000.
In addition to all these, instructional materials were inadequate while staff morale was at its lowest ebb and as a matter of fact, about 50 per cent of the teachers.
This same thing applies to tertiary institutions in the state that included the two state owned universities.
The Ganduje administration inherited only the Senate building at the permanent site of North West University now Yusuf Maitama Sule University with no academic activities.
The university now operates two campuses.
This is continuity.
Many infrastructure projects were also executed at Kano state University of Science and Technology, Wudil by the present administration, while hundreds of courses were accredited with the National Universities Commission (NUC), National Board for Technical Education (NBTE) as well as the National Commission for Colleges of Education (NCCE).
With this development, Sa’adatu Rimi College of Education has already commenced the award of degree.
Funny enough, Doguwa also brought up the issue of the ill-conceived foreign scholarship scheme on which the present administration was left with a huge liability amounting to N8 billion.
While as part of his continuity agenda, Ganduje has settled over N5 billion of the liability and still working towards offsetting it, facts are available on how the scheme was used to allegedly swindle the good people of Kano and Kano state government.
Far reaching measures have also to been introduced to reverse the ugly trend by accessing the Universal basic Education Commission (UBEC’s) counterpart funding of about N2 billion which enabled the rehabilitation of classroom blocks, building of libraries, sinking of boreholes, provision of over 15,000 pupils’ furniture, instructional materials, etc.
Governor Ganduje also came up with idea of the Education Promotion Committee (EPC) both at the state level and in all the 44 local government areas which has been able to rehabilitate thousands of blocks of classrooms, provision of seats and as well as various instructional materials.
And with the introduction of Free Basic and Secondary Education in the state, which Doguwa overlooked deliberately brushed aside, payment of school fees has been abolished in all the primary and secondary schools.
The Ganduje administration has commenced direct funding of primary and secondary schools numbering 1,180 with a total students population of 834, 366 at a total cost of about N200 million per month or N2.4 billion per annum.
Furthermore, N357 million has been budgeted to take care of free-feeding for pupils in primary four to six classes in all primary schools across the state.
Similarly, before the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic, Ganduje’s government had provided school uniforms to 779, 522 newly enrolled pupils (boys and girls) at the total cost of N381 million which distribution and other instructional materials was flagged off at Mariri Special Primary School in Kumbotso Local Government Area last year.
The state government has also sponsored the funding component of the Free and Compulsory Basic and Secondary Education in the state which was launched at the Sani Abacha Stadium Indoor Sports Hall.
During that event, Ganduje distributed cash to over 110,000 schools across the state designed to enable them build capacity and human resource development.
He also distributed 790 Digital Classroom All Inclusive Empowerment Solution and tablets to 728 teachers, 39 master teachers, nine senior secondly school officers and 14 principal officers.
The programme was aimed at capacity building towards free and compulsory education on School Development Plan (SDP) and ICT appreciation for directors and zonal education directors.
Ganduje’s plan for Almajiris
With turn of events, which led to the formal abolishing of the traditional Almajiri system of education in the state, the Ganduje administration is completing arrangements to enroll all 1, 800 repatriated indigenous almajirai to Kano from other states of the northern region into conventional educational system.
Kano, which is the only state that has in place, a functional Qur’anic and Islamiyya Schools Management Board had earlier, established 12 integrated Tsangaya Model Schools across the state, 10 of which are boarding.
Each of the facility has dormitory, hostels, cafeteria, toilets and staff quarters among others, while 8, 000 volunteer teachers have been engaged to teach in the various public and Quranic schools across the state in a bid to reduce teaching deficiency in the sector.
Indeed, Governor Abdullahi Umar Ganduje’s launching of free, compulsory basic and secondary education policy has made serious impact with the reduction of the data of out-of-school children in Kano from 1,306,106 to 410,873, from 2015 to 2019. (Refer to the National Education Data Survey (NEDS) Report of 2015 which shows that, Kano had (then) the highest number of out-of-school children with 1,306,106.)
The terrifying report then prompted Governor Ganduje to take the issue with all seriousness, with measures aimed at addressing the situation squarely.
However, with the free, compulsory basic and secondary education policy, as contained in the report submitted to the Governor Ganduje by the sub-committee on out-of-school children survey 2019, it was noted that as a result of various intervention programs the serious drop becomes inevitable.
The survey by the sub-committee was conducted across all the 44 local government areas in the state on house-to-house basis, using village/ward heads under the district heads of each local government area with a view to generating a comprehensive and reliable data that will enable government to effectively implement the laudable free education policy According to the report, from the total number of 410,873 out-of-school children in the state, 275,917 are boys, that represents 67% and 134,956 are girls, representing 33%.
Unlike the Kwankwasiyya and their foot soldiers who play politics with everything, the Ganduje’s administration believes that with the right education, the issue of insecurity and unemployment would become things of the past.
Education is a right to every citizen.
This explains why in Kano today, there is a law that whoever fails to send his children to school is committing an offence.
Muhammad Garba is the Commissioner for Information, Kano State
Isyaku Ibrahim
It has become increasingly apparent that whenever the holy month of Ramadan approaches, the Muslim community begins to experience severe electricity outages.
Despite repeated assurances by the relevant authorities year after year, the situation continues unabated. The current circumstances clearly demonstrate this troubling pattern, imposing additional hardship on residents at a time when the community is only hours away from commencing the sacred month-long period of worship.
One may recall that during the late President Umaru Musa Yar’Adua’s administration, a minister once vowed upon assuming office to resolve the persistent electricity challenges to ensure that Muslim faithful could observe Ramadan without power disruptions. Unfortunately, that promise ultimately proved to be a pipe dream.
It is both disappointing and painful that a section of the community appears to bear the brunt of these outages during a spiritually significant period, especially in a secular society where public services are expected to be delivered equitably.
Public utility institutions such as the Kano Electricity Distribution Company (KEDCO) were established to serve the collective interest of all citizens, irrespective of religious, ethnic, sectional, or political affiliations. When that core objective is undermined, it creates frustration, erodes trust, and fosters resentment within the broader society.
Ramadan is a period of reflection, sacrifice, and devotion. It is also a time when families require stable electricity for basic needs—especially for preparing meals to break the fast and to sustain worshippers during long days of fasting. The inability to access reliable power during such a critical time deepens hardship and diminishes the comfort of an already demanding spiritual exercise.
As the holy month begins, it is my sincere hope that KEDCO and other relevant authorities will take urgent and practical steps to ensure improved electricity supply. Ramadan should be a time of spiritual upliftment—not avoidable suffering caused by preventable service failures.
Isyaku Ibrahim is a Director in Kano Civil Service.
Lamara Garba Azare
There are men who pass through power, and there are men who redefine it. Murtala Ramat Mohammed belonged to that rare breed who carried authority lightly and conscience heavily. He was a comrade in uniform, a patriot in spirit, a true son of Africa whose love for this nation was not performed for applause but proven through action.
He rose to lead the most populous Black nation on earth, yet power never altered his posture or polluted his character. He remained simple in conduct, measured in speech, and humble in lifestyle. He never allowed the office to swallow the man. While others might have embraced sirens and spectacle, he chose restraint. His convoy moved without blaring horns. He obeyed traffic lights like every other citizen. He respected traffic wardens as custodians of public order.
There is that unforgettable moment when a traffic officer, having recognized his car, stopped other motorists to allow him to pass. The General was displeased. The warden was punished for denying other road users their right of way, and his driver was sternly warned for attempting to drive against traffic. In that simple but powerful incident, he taught a nation that no one is above the law—not even the Head of State. For him, leadership was not exemption from rules but submission to them.
His humility went even deeper. Often dressed in private attire, he would visit markets quietly, blending into the crowd to ask about the prices of food and daily commodities. He wanted to feel the pulse of ordinary Nigerians. He wanted to understand how families were coping. He believed policies should not be crafted from distant offices alone but shaped by lived realities. That simple habit revealed a leader who listened before he acted and measured governance by the condition of the common man.
When he assumed power in 1975, he did so without plunging the country into bloodshed. In a continent where coups often left painful scars, his intervention was swift and calculated, aimed at correcting a drift rather than destroying the state. It reflected firmness guided by restraint. He was a soldier, yes, but one who understood that strength without humanity is weakness in disguise.
In barely six months, he moved with an urgency that startled the establishment. Files that once gathered dust began to move. Decisions were taken with clarity. He restructured the civil service in a bold attempt to restore efficiency and discipline. He initiated the process that led to the relocation of the capital to Abuja—a decision born of foresight and national balance. He confronted corruption without apology and made it clear that public office was a trust to be guarded, not an opportunity to be exploited.
His voice on the continental stage was equally resolute. When he declared that Africa had come of age, he was not uttering rhetoric; he was announcing a shift in posture. Nigeria, under his watch, stood firm in support of liberation movements and insisted on African dignity in global affairs. He believed that the continent deserved respect earned through courage and self-confidence.
Then, just as the nation began to feel the rhythm of disciplined governance, tragedy struck on February 13, 1976. Bullets interrupted a vision. A country stood still in shock. Africa mourned one of its brightest sons. He had ruled for only a short season, yet the weight of his impact surpassed the length of his tenure.
Perhaps if he had remained longer, Nigeria would have charted a different course. Perhaps institutions would have grown around principle rather than convenience. Perhaps accountability would have become a culture rather than campaign language. We can only imagine. But what cannot be imagined away is the moral clarity he represented.
Today, when citizens speak about abandoned ideals and weakened standards, his memory returns like a measuring rod. When convoys roar past traffic lights with entitlement, his quiet obedience becomes a silent rebuke. When policies lose touch with the marketplace realities of ordinary people, we remember the Head of State who walked into markets in simple clothes to ask the price of garri and rice.
He was not perfect, but he was purposeful. He did not govern to decorate history books; he governed to correct a nation. He detested corruption because he understood the damage it inflicts on the weakest citizens. He valued humility because he knew that power is fleeting, but accountability before Almighty Allah is eternal.
Nigeria lost more than a leader. Africa lost a rare gem whose patriotism was sincere and whose heart beat for the dignity of his people. We pray that Allah grants Murtala Ramat Mohammed Aljannatul Firdaus and illuminates his resting place. We pray that his sacrifices count for him in the hereafter. And we pray that Nigeria rediscovers the discipline, courage, and sincerity that defined his brief but remarkable stewardship.
Some leaders occupy office; others transform it. Murtala Ramat Mohammed transformed it. His six months continue to echo across five decades because they were anchored in conviction and service.
Until Nigeria fully embraces integrity in leadership, until Africa truly stands in the maturity he proclaimed, his story will remain both our inspiration and our challenge. His life reminds us that greatness is not measured by duration in power but by depth of impact—not by noise but by noble action, not by privilege but by principle.
He came, he led, and though he left too soon, he still speaks through the standard he set.
Lamara Garba Azare, a veteran journalist, writes from Kano.
Abubakar Shehu Kwaru
Leadership, as scholars have long argued, is neither accidental nor ornamental. It is defined by character, competence and the capacity to unite people toward a common purpose. As an undergraduate at Bayero University, Kano, over two decades ago, I was introduced to the principles of leadership articulated by Henri Fayol — principles that emphasise honesty, discipline, responsibility, hard work, knowledge, exemplary conduct and the ability to inspire unity among subordinates.
Other scholars go further to argue that some individuals are naturally endowed with leadership qualities — charismatic, courageous and selfless — though such individuals are often rare in any society.
My conviction about leadership was further shaped in 2007 when I participated in a Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) youth sensitisation programme organised by the Citizenship and Leadership Training Centre, Abuja. There, we were taught that credible leadership demands sacrifice, vision and unwavering commitment to the public good.
In today’s political climate, a leader with these qualities stands out — sometimes lonely amid the crowd. It is against this backdrop that Honourable Murtala Sule Garo emerges, in my view, as one of those rare figures whose record speaks louder than rhetoric.
Politics, like life itself, teaches us patience. Man may propose, but God ultimately disposes. Ambition, qualifications and popularity do not always translate into immediate outcomes. Destiny unfolds in its own time.
This reality played out during the 2023 general elections when the All Progressives Congress (APC) presented Dr Nasir Yusuf Gawuna and Honourable Murtala Sule Garo as its gubernatorial and deputy gubernatorial candidates in Kano State. Despite their credentials and acceptance, the mandate went elsewhere, as providence favoured the incumbent governor, Engr Abba Kabir Yusuf.
Yet, the choice of those candidates was not accidental. It reflected years of service, political consistency and deep-rooted connections with the grassroots.
Honourable Murtala Sule Garo, fondly called “Commander” by admirers, exemplifies qualities Kano urgently needs in its leadership space — calm strength, courage, inclusiveness and discipline. He is widely regarded as considerate, hardworking, peace-loving and deeply committed to public service.
Born about five decades ago in Garo town of Kabo Local Government Area, Kano North Senatorial District, Garo hails from a respected royal lineage. His late father, Alhaji Sule Galadima Garo, was the Galadiman Garo, a revered traditional title holder. Garo combined Islamic and Western education from an early age before venturing into politics.
His political journey has been both instructive and impactful. He served as State Organising Secretary of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) before being elected Chairman of Kabo Local Government Council in 2013. He later rose to become Chairman of the Association of Local Governments of Nigeria (ALGON), Kano State chapter, during the second tenure of Senator Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso as governor. That role exposed his administrative capacity and leadership dexterity on a broader scale.
In 2015, Governor Abdullahi Umar Ganduje appointed Garo as Commissioner for Local Government, a position he retained in 2019 due to his performance and results-driven approach. As commissioner, he empowered local government chairmen, strengthened grassroots administration and prioritised inclusive governance, irrespective of political affiliation.
These qualities explain why his recent political realignment has drawn attention. In a period when Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf has committed himself to transforming Kano into a megacity, the need for experienced, resilient and grassroots-oriented politicians has never been greater.
There is little doubt that a workaholic, seasoned administrator like Murtala Sule Garo would add immense value to any administration. With his political antecedents, loyalty and organisational strength, he represents the kind of stabilising force that allows leadership to function with confidence.
His network of former local government chairmen and political allies — including Honourable Lamin Sani Kawaji, Honourable Ibrahim Ahmad Karaye (Madaki), Mukhtari Ishaq Yakasai, Saleh Kausani, Abubakar Ali and Ibrahim Hamisu Rimi, among others — underscores his influence and capacity for mobilisation.
Good governance thrives when credible, reliable and grassroots-tested leaders are entrusted with responsibility. Kano State, at this critical juncture, needs bridge-builders rather than spectators.
When the time comes, pairing experience with vision will be essential. Honourable Murtala Sule Garo, by record and reputation, fits that role. He has consistently demonstrated that leadership is about service, not self; about unity, not division. Indeed, if leadership were a cap, it would sit firmly on his head.
Abubakar Shehu Kwaru is a seasoned journalist who writes from Mandawari Quarters, Gwale Local Government Area, Kano State.
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