News

A.A Zaura: He Has Not Seat In Power,But A Place In Every Heart

Published

9 months ago

May 28, 2025

AA zaura

By Dr Ramadan Ali PhD

In the theatre of life where many chase titles, positions, and applause, some men choose to walk quietly through the back door of history, carrying nothing but the weight of compassion on their shoulders.

Among such rare men stands A.A. Zaura, not adorned with the ornaments of office, nor shielded by the cloak of political immunity, but wrapped in the humble garb of service the kind that needs no microphone to echo.

While many climb the ladder of influence with power-hungry hands, Zaura has chosen to lift others with market-worn palms the hands of a businessman who never allowed profit to replace purpose.

It is said that “a tree is known not by the noise it makes in the wind, but by the fruit it bears.” A.A. Zaura has borne fruit in silence. From the bustling corners of Kano’s marketplaces, where traders bargain over tomatoes and textiles, to the silent alleys where lost youths dance with addiction and crime, Zaura’s money moves not towards building mansions in cities of gold, but towards rebuilding lives that society has written off.

His profit, earned honestly through the sweat of commerce, has become a weapon against ignorance, a shield against poverty, and a bridge for the hopeless. Where others chase contracts, he chases change. Where some see the people as burdens, he sees them as the backbone of a better tomorrow.

There’s an African proverb: “The child who is not embraced by the village will burn it down to feel its warmth.” Zaura heard the silent screams of these forgotten children the drug addicts, the street boys, the phone snatchers whose lives are but twisted poems of a broken system and instead of turning a blind eye like many politicians do, he turned his heart toward them. Not with condemnation, but with compassion. Not with judgment, but with justice.

And he does this not from the comfort of an air-conditioned government office or a convoy of bulletproof vehicles. No he does it with his own hard-earned money, carved from the toil of market stalls and business deals. He funds sensitization programs in slums, organizes reformation drives in public schools, sponsors enlightenment seminars about the dangers of drug abuse, and works with local mentors to snatch the youth from the jaws of destruction.

Ask the mother whose son was lured from the street and enrolled into a skill acquisition center sponsored by Zaura she will tell you, “He is a father to the fatherless.”
Ask the reformed street boy who once wielded daggers in the dark but now holds a pen in the light he will whisper, “Zaura did not give up on me when even my family did.”

This is the measure of the man. Not in the number of television interviews he grants, but in the lives he silently lifts. Not in how often he appears in newspapers, but in the neighborhoods he transforms.

They say “he who carries the people’s burden without being asked has already proven he can lead them.” And in that, A.A. Zaura has passed the test many elected officials continue to fail. While others wait to be sworn into office before they start serving, Zaura serves without being sworn, loves without being lobbied, and uplifts without being urged.

The irony is deafening: those in power sit idle while the powerless do the real work. This man this son of the market, this unsung architect of peace has shown that leadership is not a seat; it is a sacrifice. And he makes that sacrifice every day.

“When the drumbeat changes, the dancer must also change his steps.” Nigeria is dancing dangerously close to the edge. Our youth are slipping. Our morals are fading. Our streets are crying. The time has come for a different kind of leader not a title-bearer, but a burden-bearer. Not a noise-maker, but a nation-healer.

If character still counts…
If selflessness still matters…
If service still outweighs speech…

Then the question must be asked: If not A.A. Zaura, who else?

Who else has used his wealth not to build walls, but to break chains?
Who else has taken profit from market stalls and turned it into purpose in forgotten streets?
Who else has lived among the people, walked their pain, shared their silence, and turned it into strength?

The answer is loud in its simplicity.

A.A. Zaura is not just a name he is a necessity.
A voice we did not expect, but desperately need.
A flame flickering in the wind, yet refusing to go out.

It is time.
Not to reward him.
But to release him into leadership. Into higher service. Into the place where empathy meets power and where his passion can protect even more lives.

A shepherd does not need to be crowned before he protects his flock.” But sometimes just sometimes the flock must crown him, not for his gain, but for their survival.

News

Shettima Heads to Addis Ababa for 2026 AU Summit

Published

6 hours ago

February 12, 2026

Nigerian Tracker

By Yusuf Danjuma Yunusa

Vice President Kashim Shettima has departed Abuja for Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, where he will represent President Bola Ahmed Tinubu at the 2026 African Union (AU) Summit.

According to a statement issued on Thursday by Stanley Nkwocha, Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Communications (Office of the Vice President), this year’s summit is themed: “Assuring Sustainable Water Availability and Safe Sanitation Systems to Achieve the Goals of Agenda 2063.”

The gathering will center on advancing continent-wide commitments to sustainable water resource management, improved sanitation infrastructure, and the broader developmental objectives outlined in the AU’s Agenda 2063 framework.

During his stay in Addis Ababa, Vice President Shettima will participate in the 39th Ordinary Session of the Assembly of AU Heads of State and Government and the 30th General Assembly, scheduled for February 14 and 15, 2026, respectively.

On the sidelines of the main summit, Shettima is expected to engage in high-level side events and hold bilateral meetings with political leaders and business executives. These engagements are aimed at deepening Nigeria’s diplomatic ties, expanding economic cooperation, and reinforcing strategic partnerships across the continent.

The Vice President is accompanied by cabinet ministers and other senior government officials. He is scheduled to return to Nigeria upon the conclusion of his official engagements in Ethiopia.

News

Hours After BBC Interview, El-Rufai Faces Alleged Arrest Move at Abuja Airport

Published

6 hours ago

February 12, 2026

Nigerian Tracker

By Yusuf Danjuma Yunusa

Security operatives on Thursday allegedly attempted to arrest former Kaduna State Governor, Malam Nasir El-Rufai, upon his arrival at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja, from Cairo, Egypt.

The allegation was made by El-Rufai’s Media Adviser, Muyiwa Adekeye, in a post on his verified X (formerly Twitter) account shortly after the incident.

According to Adekeye, security agents approached the former governor as he disembarked from his flight and sought to take him into custody. He said El-Rufai declined to comply, insisting that he would not accompany the operatives without a formal invitation or warrant.

“Security agents today attempted to arrest Malam Nasir El-Rufai as he arrived on a flight from Cairo. Malam El-Rufai declined to follow them without a formal invitation,” Adekeye wrote.

He further alleged that during the encounter, the operatives seized the former governor’s passport from one of his aides.

“They, however, snatched his passport from an aide,” the statement added.

As of press time, there was no official statement from the Nigeria Police Force, the Department of State Services (DSS), or any other security agency regarding the alleged incident.

The development comes a day after El-Rufai, in an interview with the BBC Hausa Service, suggested that he could face arrest upon returning to the country. He claimed that some of his former associates in Kaduna had already been detained.

“About four people we worked with in Kaduna have been arrested. So, it may only be a matter of time before they come for me as well,” he said.

The circumstances surrounding Thursday’s incident remain unclear, pending official confirmation from the relevant authorities.

News

Presidential Villa to Go Off-Grid with Solar Power by March 2026

Published

12 hours ago

February 12, 2026

Nigerian Tracker

By Yusuf Danjuma Yunusa

The Presidential Villa in Abuja is on track to sever its connection to the national electricity grid by March 2026, following the completion of a dedicated solar mini-grid project. The Federal Government has finalized plans to move the seat of power entirely off-grid, marking a major step toward energy independence and cost reduction.

State House Permanent Secretary, Temitope Fashedemi, disclosed this on Wednesday while defending the 2026 budget proposal before the Senate Committee on Special Duties at the National Assembly. He confirmed that the solar installation was completed in late 2025 and has been undergoing technical evaluation since December.

“We are hopeful that by March we will be able to effect a full cutover,” Fashedemi told lawmakers. He emphasized that the shift from the Abuja Electricity Distribution Company (AEDC) would significantly lower the operational costs of running the Presidential Villa.

To demonstrate the viability of the project, Fashedemi cited the State House Medical Centre, which has operated entirely on solar power since May 2025. According to him, the facility has not switched on its generator since installation.

“In fact, since May last year, the generator at the Medical Centre has not been switched on for one minute,” he said. He added that less than three per cent of the centre’s energy needs were briefly supplemented from AEDC during the initial transition phase, with the remainder fully covered by solar panels and battery storage.

The Federal Government allocated N10 billion in the 2025 budget for the solar mini-grid project—a decision that sparked public debate at the time. An additional N7 billion has been proposed in the 2026 Appropriation Bill to consolidate and expand the initiative.

The transition comes amid efforts to resolve longstanding electricity debt. In February 2024, AEDC listed the Villa among its top government debtors, with an outstanding balance of N923.87 million. Following reconciliation, the figure was reduced to N342.35 million, which President Bola Ahmed Tinubu directed to be settled immediately.

Fashedemi further revealed that the testing phase uncovered instances of overbilling by AEDC, including charges for electricity allegedly not delivered. He confirmed that discussions were ongoing to reconcile what he termed “legacy liabilities” with the utility company.

With the full transition to solar, the Villa will no longer rely on its aging generator fleet, some of which have been in use since the complex was first constructed.

While a few units may be retained strictly for emergency purposes, Fashedemi expressed confidence that the new solar infrastructure would provide stable, sustainable power for the entire Presidential Villa.