Yero and the battle for Kaduna

It is clear that, many a time, he had had some very controversial run-ins with the ruling party, even when he was a member of the ruling government! But this is not about el Rufai. This is about Governor Mukhtar Ramalan Yero, the man who will be looking to consolidate on everything which he has […]

It is clear that, many a time, he had had some very controversial run-ins with the ruling party, even when he was a member of the ruling government! But this is not about el Rufai. This is about Governor Mukhtar Ramalan Yero, the man who will be looking to consolidate on everything which he has spent time achieving in the last two years. True, he was called upon to lead a bereaved state when he least expected it; following the death of his boss in an air mishap. But, to be fair to the man, he has taken it in his stride. Yero has strived to maintain a balance between the people of Southern Kaduna and other parts of the once-peaceful state.
He learned the ropes so fast on how to lead a state with different voices, but, while his performance has not been exactly stellar, he has made a bright start; one which only continuity can help get better.  In recent times, several faceless arm chair critics have inundated various media platforms (social media, specifically) with numerous frivolous accusations against Yero’s administration. This is in spite of the fact that, in the last two years, a huge regard for simple human ethics of fairness and objectivity has returned and the prevailing atmosphere is one which has not been experienced in a long time.
Worse (and most bizarre), they wrongly accuse the administration of Yero of lacking an agenda and focus for the development of the state. To lead this five-part clarification (rather than respond to any critics), it is pertinent to review the security situation in the State since the emergence of Yero as governor of the State. The Nigerian Constitution clearly provides that security is paramount responsibility of government at all levels.
If this is true, then the administration of Yero has performed above average in its clearly defined cardinal objective of securing the state. To remind some forgetful heads, Kaduna was fast becoming a major theatre of terrorists’ activities pre-Yero era. Several people were killed across the state beginning with the post- presidential election violence of 2011 to the many bomb blasts.
Yes, el Rufai is a good man and he is popular amongst the elite circles in Kaduna, he has a good record while he was a minister of the FCT and all that…but Yero is no underdog; he is the seam that has held the fragile clothe called Kaduna together in the last couple of years. Pray, tell, if that is no feat, then, what is? Yero is everything and more which many of those angling to govern Kaduna State are not and, thus, he deserves another shot at the seat of the governor – if a number of things are taken into consideration.

 Barnabas Musa, Kaduna