I inherited insecurity, infrastructure gaps from El-Rufai, says Gov Uba Sani

Governor Uba Sani of Kaduna has declared that he inherited insecurity, infrastructure gaps and weak social indicators from the administration of Mallam Nasir El-Rufai, former governor of the state.

Governor Sani made the comment at a workshop for senior government officials organised by the Nigerian Institute of Public Relations (NIPR) during the Nigeria Public Relations Week in Kaduna.

The workshop was themed “From Policy To Public Trust: Strategic Communication For Vision Alignment And Governance Delivery For Renewed Hope”.

Participants included commissioners, special advisers, counsellors and permanent secretaries.

“Kaduna is not where it was. Kaduna is by far a better place today and even more exciting is the fact that Kaduna is on the move and set to do even greater things and attain higher heights.

“We institutionalised a performance framework built around Key Performance Indicators, ensuring that every ministry, department, and agency operates with clarity of purpose and accountability of outcome,” he said.

Sani said his government structured its agenda around seven strategic pillars, including security, infrastructure, institutions, investment, agriculture, human capital development and citizen engagement.

“These pillars are not isolated priorities but interconnected levers, designed to function as a coherent system; each reinforcing the other, each contributing to a broader objective: the transformation of Kaduna State into a secure, prosperous, and inclusive society,” he said.

The governor said his administration prioritised security by working with federal authorities to establish military bases in Giwa, Birnin Gwari and southern Kaduna.

“We strengthened mobility and response through the deployment of over 150 operational vehicles and 500 motorcycles to security agencies.

“In our urban centres, we constituted a Joint Task Force that has significantly reduced incidents of street crime and banditry generally,” he said.

Sani said the state has also reclaimed farmland and supported displaced persons, adding that security improvements are beginning to restore confidence and economic activity.

“We have reclaimed over 20,000 hectares of previously inaccessible farmland. We have facilitated the resettlement of over 1,000 displaced persons and continue to provide targeted support to more than 117,000 internally displaced persons.

“All of this is encapsulated in what we now call the Kaduna Peace Model,” Governor Sani stated, stressing that his administration has also recorded progress in education, healthcare, infrastructure and investment.

He said the number of out-of-school children has reduced from about 550,000 to 187,720 within two years.

The governor added that Kaduna has attracted investments worth over $743 million, with a pipeline of about $2.77 billion.

He said his administration remains focused on translating policy into measurable impact for residents of the state.