First, our thoughts and prayers are with the families of the kidnapped school children and teachers at the Kuriga area of Chikun Local Government Area of Kaduna State on Thursday. Like the Governor, Senator Uba Sani, we all fervently pray for the safe and quick return of every one of them.

While the actual number is yet to be determined, the fact remains that it is a nightmare that no parent or family should go through. And as the United Nations Children’s Emergency Fund noted in its reaction, the Kaduna State abduction was one too many. Unfortunately, considering the present state of our security agencies, nobody can guarantee that the terrorists won’t strike again, and that’s the tragedy. Before the Thursday incident in Kaduna State, the terrorists had last week kidnapped over two hundred women and young girls from three IDP camps in Ngala at the Nigeria-Cameroon border.

It’s sad to admit this unfortunate truth that these terrorists would continue to violate, with impunity, the fundamental rights of Nigerians until the federal government does the needful. Whether it is the abduction of children from their school or of adults from their farms and the highways, the implications are devastatingly the same. The only difference is that the intensified campaign of violence by the terrorists against innocent schoolchildren would further worsen the already terrible number of out-of-school children in the north. The overall effect, apart from increasing poverty due to farmers abandoning the land and people generally unable to engage in legitimate activities, is widespread fear, anxiety and trauma.

Governor Uba Sani, more than anyone else, fully understands that schools are supposed to be sanctuaries of learning. He vicariously feels the damage to the psyche of the children who deserve to learn in a conducive environment, free from fear. He has offered psychological support services to the families of those affected and the community. The best he can in the face of the present unfortunate circumstances.

While we agree with UNICEF that the “alarming frequency of such incidents across the country signals a crisis that requires immediate and determined action from all”, the Nigerian State hasn’t shown the urgency and determination to respond decisively to the challenges posed by the terrorists. Chris Kwaja, a professor at the Centre for Peace and Security Studies, Modibbo Adama University, argues that the frequency of abductions confirms an “unfortunate story of the high level of coordination, sophistication and lethality” of the criminals operating in the country.

Governor Sani, despite his pains at the kidnapping of his citizens, has refused to be defeated. Rather, his resolve to win the war against the insurgents is rekindled. Like they say, the last thing to give up is hope. Having been at the frontline since his days at the Senate, Governor Sani’s commitment to the safe return of every kidnapped Kaduna state citizen is unwavering, and more importantly, that no Nigerian citizen should ever be kidnapped by terrorists either at their home, farm, school or the highway. And he has been unequivocal that such an undertaking demands an urgent overhaul of the security architecture.

As a senator, Governor Sani sponsored four consequential bills; the Police Service Commission Act 2001 (Repeal & Re-enactment) Bill, the State Police Service Commission (Est) Bill, the 1999 Constitution (Alteration) Bill, the Nigerian Police Act (Amendment) Bill for the amendment of the 1999 Constitution to allow for the establishment of state police, to enhance the security of lives and property of Nigerians. Governor Sani’s bills, unfortunately, didn’t scale through at the harmonization conference due to unfounded fears of misuse by governors, promoted by some members of the National Assembly who are, more often than not, at loggerheads with their governors.

Governor Sani’s bills were a bold initiative that would have fundamentally restructured the security architecture and helped in addressing the lingering security challenges facing not just Kaduna state but the entire country. And until the National Assembly summons the necessary political will to effect the necessary amendments, the security problem will persist, whether Governor Sani travels to Lagos for an official assignment or is at his Sir. Kashim Ibrahim House office attending to state matters.

This rejoinder, though provoked by the mischievous headline of Peoples Gazette newspaper, “Uba Sani Fetes In Lagos As Bandits Abduct 230 Kaduna School Children,” is beyond a rebuttal and an admonition of the newspaper. More significantly, it is an opportunity to elevate the argument from the newspaper’s pedestrian coverage of a serious incident and get the federal government to move from words to actions.

For the information of Peoples Gazette newspaper, Governor Sani was not feting in Lagos but was on an official assignment to honour and engage with Dr. Akinwumi Adeshina, the President of the African Development Bank (AfDB), who was conferred with the prestigious Obafemi Awolowo Prize for Leadership for his outstanding contribution to the agricultural development of Africa, on behalf of the farmers of Kaduna State. Had Governor Sani not attended the event, it would have been a crime against prosperity because Kaduna is an agricultural state, the number one in corn, ginger, millet, tomato production, etc.

Peoples Gazette newspaper, because it was on a mission, bluntly refused to acknowledge that reputable world leaders attended the event to celebrate Adeshina’s sterling achievements. These included President Bola Tinubu, represented by Kashim Shettima, his vice; General Gowon, GCFR, former Presidents Olusegun Obasanjo, Goodluck Ebele Jonathan, his vice Namadi Sambo, Samia Suluhu-Hassan, the President of the United Republic of Tanzania, who chaired the event; Azali Assoumani, President of the Republic of the Union of Comoros; Sahle-Work Zewde, President of Ethiopia, Faure Gnassingbe, President of Togo, and the former President of Ghana, John Dramami Mahama.

So, I told Peoples Gazette that Governor Sani didn’t attend a frivolous event. Because Governor Sani is alive to his responsibility, once he was informed of the unfortunate situation, he hurried back to Kaduna and visited the traumatised community, who, in spite of their pains, joyfully welcomed him because they knew him and were aware of his efforts to bring the insurgency to an end.

For the purposes of argument, let’s assume that Governor Sani was in Kaduna state and that he didn’t have to attend the programme in Lagos. What would he have done to stop the attack? Would he drive the armoured tank and chase after the bandits, or order the understaffed and ill-equipped Nigerian armed forces and police to chase after the bandits that he absolutely has no control over? Wasn’t Governor Babagana Zulum of Borno State in Maiduguri when the terrorists struck? Did his presence stop the attacks?

And again, assuming Governor Sani was attending The Peoples Gazette Annual Awards when these children were kidnapped, would it have gone to town with the same screaming and mischievous headline? Most certainly, the headline would have been different.

As governor, Uba Sani has a responsibility to engage in trips within and outside the state, to attend functions, to network, and to attract investment to his state. Recently, Governor Sani was in the president’s entourage during his state visit to Qatar. The visit not only helped Governor Sani to strengthen the existing partnership between his state and the Qatari government and the state-led humanitarian organisation Qatar Charity but also to explore new areas of cooperation.

Governor Sani’s fruitful meetings have attracted investment in solid minerals, agriculture, and energy. CGK Global, a waste management company, has indicated its readiness to invest 350 million dollars in the generation of hydrogen and electricity. Also, two Abu-Dhabi-based companies, Masdar and Taqa, have expressed interest in collaborating with the Kaduna State Government in the areas of power generation and distribution using gas

The media has a responsibility to set a National Agenda, and it must responsibly discharge this duty rather than make a poor attempt at politicising Governor Sani’s official visit. Peoples Gazette ought to be at the forefront of the campaign for the federal government to tackle the fundamental issues that have made violence against children and, indeed, all Nigerians possible.

Peoples Gazette should champion the entrenchment of true federalism so that governors can be held responsible whenever there is a security breach. So long as governors remain glorified Chief Security Officers and generals without troops, so long are we going to engage in misplaced blame, which is unfair to the governors of the 36 states and not just Governor Sani?

Why are we not having massive recruitment into the military and police to ensure a decisive defeat of the terrorists? The president promised a massive recruitment into the security agencies, why is that not being followed up on.

Governor Sani has walked his talk. On the assumption of office, he immediately recruited 7,000 men and women into the state vigilante services. A vigilante officer paid the supreme price, engaging the terrorists with his Dane gun. Of course, he stood no chance against the better-armed terrorists.

I have implicit confidence in President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to change the narrative. He will certainly bequeath Nigeria with an armed military that will defend the territorial integrity of Nigeria.