An Open Letter To The Executive Governor Of Kaduna State -By Dokpesi Timothy Adidi

HIS EXCELLENCY UBA SANI

Your Excellency Sir, this is my first letter to you after you were elected into the office as the number one citizen of Kaduna state. May I use this opportunity to congratulate you on this sacred chair that has been entrusted to you by the Almighty Allah. I purposely use the word sacred chair without parenthesis and this is on purpose. It is on purpose because the election that brought you into power comes as a result of what the people have decided through their own voice. As such, the voice of the people is the voice of God (Vox Populi Vox Dei). Although, as a philosopher this can be interrogated, but since we have an electoral empire that have announced you the winner of the gubernatorial election of Kaduna State an institution installed by the State to deal on electoral matters, I shall have no reason not to consider you as the duly elected Governor of Kaduna State; and that is what you are. Unless there is a contrary injunction or judgment then I am obliged to relate my congratulatory message to you and the Deputy Governor of Kaduna State Her Excellency, Hajiya Hadiza Sabuwa Balarabe. I pray that as you both have decided to serve the people of Kaduna State, your experience as a former Senator of the Federal Republic of Nigeria will help look at the issues or challenges the people of Kaduna state are passing through. May Allah keep you and give you all the necessary wisdom you deserve to take Nigeria to another level.

I do not need to formerly introduce myself to you. You might need to know me as the writer who did so much writing during the just concluded administration of Mallam Nasir El-Rufai. I am not a regular politician. I am just a social and political analyst who mean so well for the people of Kaduna state. I have lived all my life in Kaduna State.  In the past forty-three (43) years, and by virtue of my citizenship as a Nigerian, I am qualified to be an indigene of Kaduna state if not for the kind of country we run and the demonstration of undemocratic understanding of what constitutes democratic process and the rule of law; which is deficient in our political culture due to the high level ethnic politicization and other obvious factors. As such, my interest in the urbanization and cosmopolitanization of Kaduna state is borne out of the love in the environment that has nurtured and socialized my personality and social formation. Hence, I do not have any personal interest or aggrandizement to become part of your government; but, I have an interest to make Kaduna state a renewed hope come alive again.

My Distinguished former Senator and Kaduna state Governor, you will agree with me that if you cast your mind back to the days of your youth and the current situation we are in Kaduna state, you will recall that we had a United State of Kaduna in the past. It was a Kaduna state we knew to accommodate everyone and we lived together as a friends and families. It was indeed a Kaduna state were we went to school together; it was a Kaduna state were we shared food together; it was a Kaduna state were we celebrated together; it was a Kaduna state were the haves and the have not interacted together; it was a Kaduna were as children we went to school without knowing who was Hausa, Ibo or Yoruba. In fact, many people would leave the East, West and South to come into Kaduna to look for greener pastures. I remember back then, we were not suspicious of ourselves and hospitality was one of the greatest qualities we all learnt. We had no challenges with social integration. We had no challenges with appointments; and we had no challenges with religion and ethnicity. In fact, again, Kaduna state then was a twenty-four (24) hours non-stop activity. Then, as a young boy who finished secondary school, I had the privilege of getting a job with the then World Wide Garment Company opposite the Seven-up Company (all grounded). I would leave my house as early as 4am and ride my bicycle from Barnawa New Extension to work. I had no fears of been kidnapped or disappearing. It was a very sweet moment for us as a people. Until, the situation and narrative changed. We have lost so much investor both foreign and local. I remember back then as you walk the streets of Challawa all you see were foreigners walking down the streets. When passing down through their houses it would look like a different environment because of the nature of how they live and the aesthetic ambience that characterized their environment. Now, we have lost all that.

In Kaduna state we are still in the process of recovery. We are still trying to recover from what we use to be as a people. Nonetheless, it seems our recovery process is a long walk to freedom. I am not here to cast aspersions against the previous administration. Your predecessor Mallam Nasir El-Rufai did the best he can and we indeed thank him so much. He infrastructurally took Kaduna state to another level. His urban renewal policies, planning and overhauling of state institutions are a job well-done. Although, people might have their own misgivings, which is normal, and I am not exempted as well; nonetheless, to be fair to his administration he did the best he can; but, not as much as was expected for everyone. Yet it is very normal that when policies are made some persons benefit and others do not. So therefore, I use this opportunity to thank him.

Your Excellency, Mallam Uba Sani, I think you can go above what you have met on ground to see how best you can take us back to those good old days. This for me and the people of Kaduna state is very important. In the study of social and political philosophy it is said that the essence for which  the state exist and the purpose for which it was created towards achieving its end is to make the people happy and secure. This is where your mandate lies. I therefore put this task before you and this indeed is a very simple task; which is, just make the people of Kaduna state happy. Make the youths in Kaduna state happy; make the elders in Kaduna state happy, make the civil servants in Kaduna state happy; make the teachers in Kaduna state happy, make the traders in Kaduna state happy; make the students in Kaduna state happy; make the non-indegenes in Kaduna state happy; make the poor in Kaduna state happy; make the rich in Kaduna state happy; make the religious leaders in Kaduna state happy; make professionals in Kaduna state happy and finally make Kaduna state a destination for all once again.

The people of Kaduna state are not asking for too much. We are done with politicking and now we are on board to work for the growth and progress of Kaduna state. One good thing about the past regime was the ability to see to then end of crisis in Kaduna state; but one major challenge was the rampart cases of killings, kidnapping, and banditry in the state. Nonetheless, through the office of Samuel Aruwan the State did its own best to help reduce the situation. I just hope in collaboration with the Federal Government and as you sit in your sacred chair holding your staff we shall experience relative peace in Kaduna state and help ameliorate the current situation.

Your Excellency, may I respectful drop my pen here as I wish you the best in your administration. I hope that I shall always use this same pen to help in your policy framework as we work together in redeeming the lost image of our dear state.

ADIDI, Dokpesi Timothy
President, TINANJOS Education Foundation
Managing Director, TINANJOS Consultancy Services
Lecturer, Veritas University, Abuja