By Achadu Gabriel, Kaduna
Kaduna State Governor, Senator Uba Sani, has urged journalists to remain vigilant against individuals he described as “latter-day activists” whose actions, he said, could threaten Nigeria’s democratic process.
Speaking during a Ramadan breakfast meeting with journalists at Sir Kashim Ibrahim House in Kaduna, the governor warned that some politicians may attempt to undermine democracy if government policies or decisions do not favour them.
Sani commended journalists for their historic role in Nigeria’s pro-democracy struggle, noting that many media professionals faced imprisonment and other risks while advocating for democratic governance.
“You cannot talk about democracy today without recognising the contributions of journalists,” the governor said, urging the media to safeguard democratic values and remain alert to what he described as conflict-driven political narratives. He also cautioned that some political actors often focus on divisive issues such as ethnicity and religion during campaigns instead of addressing development priorities like healthcare, education, job creation, and infrastructure.
The governor highlighted several initiatives undertaken by his administration in the past two and a half years, including infrastructure development across the state’s 23 local government areas and the rehabilitation of secondary healthcare facilities. He said the state government is renovating and equipping 15 out of 32 secondary hospitals and implementing programmes aimed at reducing the number of out-of-school children.
According to Sani, Kaduna State has reduced the figure from about 580,000 to 182,000 through partnerships with organisations such as the Kuwait Development Fund, the Islamic Development Bank, and UNICEF, alongside plans to build 102 additional schools.
