• Super Admin
• 06 Mar, 2026

Kaduna State Governor, Uba Sani has cautioned journalists to be vigilant against what he described as "latter-day activists," accusing some politicians of attempting to undermine Nigeria's democracy when government policies do not favour them. The governor gave the warning on Thursday night after hosting journalists to an Iftar, the breaking of the Ramadan fast, at the Sir Kashim Ibrahim House in Kaduna. Sani said Nigeria's democracy faces threats from certain political actors who, according to him, resort to divisive narratives and agitation when policy outcomes do not align with their interests. He reminded journalists of the critical role they played during the struggle for democracy in Nigeria, noting that many media practitioners made huge sacrifices, including loss of freedom and even their lives. "When we were in the struggle as civil rights activists, we relied mostly on journalists. Many of them were detained, some lost their freedoms, and others even paid the ultimate price in the fight for democracy," he said. The governor therefore urged journalists not to allow the democratic gains achieved through years of struggle to be undermined by individuals he described as "conflict merchants." According to him, such politicians often avoid discussing pressing national issues such as healthcare, education, human capital development, unemployment and poverty. "Instead, they focus on ethnicity and religion, issues that divide the country. When campaigns begin, they shift attention to these divisive matters rather than policies that affect Nigerians irrespective of their backgrounds," he said. Sani further alleged that some of the self-styled activists were not part of the pro-democracy struggle, claiming that many of them supported military rule during Nigeria's years of dictatorship. "When we were fighting for democracy, they were partnering with military dictators. Today, from nowhere, they want to teach us democracy," he added. The governor urged journalists to hold such individuals accountable by questioning their past actions and commitment to democratic principles such as fundamental human rights, rule of law, justice and equality. Highlighting his administration's achievements, Sani said development had been extended to all the 23 local government areas of Kaduna State in the last two and a half years. He disclosed that before his administration came into office, about 12 local government areas had no single kilometre of road constructed in a decade, a situation his government is now addressing through ongoing infrastructure projects. The governor also said his administration is upgrading healthcare facilities across the state, noting that only five out of the 32 secondary hospitals were functional when he assumed office, but that 15 are currently being renovated, equipped and remodelled. On education, Sani said the state has made significant progress in tackling the challenge of out-of-school children. He said the figure has dropped from about 580,000 to 182,000, citing data from the National Bureau of Statistics. According to him, the state government, in partnership with the Kuwait Fund for Arab Economic Development, Islamic Development Bank and UNICEF, will construct an additional 102 schools to further reduce the number of out-of-school children. Sani added that Kaduna State has secured $62.8 million in funding to address the challenge, making it the only subnational government in Nigeria to access the facility so far. "Our focus is to ensure that no child is left outside the classroom because we believe education is the greatest leveller. That is why we must give quality education to the children of the poor," the governor said. Source: https://www.nationalaccordnewspaper.com/beware-of-latter-day-activists-uba-sani-warns-journalists/