By Mustapha Yahuza

Some of the most consequential moments in governance do not arrive with sirens or slogans. They come quietly, carried by decisions that restore trust rather than chase applause. One such moment unfolded in Kano in December 2025, when the state chose to remember what it had postponed for more than a decade, the unpaid obligations owed to those who once served it.
For many years, former Local Government councillors across Kano State lived with a peculiar form of civic exile. They had served at the tier of government closest to the people, where roads are not theories and healthcare is not an abstraction, yet their severance gratuities and statutory allowances remained unsettled. Furniture, accommodation, and leave entitlements slipped from policy into neglect, surviving only as entries in ageing files and fading hopes.

Administrations changed. Political banners were lowered and raised anew. But the debt endured.

In Nigeria’s political culture, such liabilities are often treated as relics of inconvenient history, especially by governments elected on opposition platforms. Discontinuity becomes doctrine and memory becomes a casualty. Alhaji Abba Kabir Yusuf chose a different path. Instead of weaponising the past, his administration accepted responsibility for it.

Between May and December 2025, the Kano State Government carried out a three phase settlement that disbursed a total of fifteen billion sixty seven naira to former Local Government Council members across the state. The first instalment, paid on 28 May 2025, amounted to one billion, eight hundred and five million three hundred thousand eight hundred and twenty three naira twenty kobo (N1,805,003,823.20) covered 903 beneficiaries who served between 2014 and 2017. The second tranche, released on 18 August 2025, totalled five billion six hundred and four million, two hundred and five thousand, nine hundred and ninety eight naira seventy kobo (N5,604,205,998.70) and benefited 1,198 former councillors who served between 2018 and 2020.

The final instalment, concluded in December, involved eight billion two hundred fifty eight million four hundred and twenty four thousand eight hundred and twenty three naira, twenty kobo (N8,258,424,823.20) paid to 1,371 beneficiaries who served between 2021 and 2024.

Altogether, three thousand four hundred and seventy two (3,472) former councill members across Kano’s 44 local governments benefited from the exercise.

When aggregated, the payments translate to an average payout of about four million five hundred per beneficiary, varying by tenure and entitlement.

Perhaps, for many, it marked the first real sense of closure after years of waiting and this was not charity. It was duty fulfilled.

Indeed, the payments were neither rushed nor symbolic. They were structured, verified, and openly executed, supported by documentation and institutional oversight. Even serving councillors whose tenure began in 2024 were included, receiving fifty percent of their furniture allowance in the interest of fairness.

Therefore, in a system long shaped by selective justice, the consistency was notable.

Behind the figures were lives shaped by uncertainty. Former councillors postponed medical care, delayed children’s education, or adjusted livelihoods around promises that never materialised. Grassroots public service offers little protection from economic vulnerability, and when the state defaults on its commitments, families bear the cost quietly, not institutions.

One such voice gave the story human clarity. Abdulsalam Ishaq Jigo, a former councillor from Kumbotso Local Government Area, described the settlement as both relief and redemption. He praised Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf for what he called an act of kindness and fairness, noting that the payments were made without regard to party affiliation or political history.

“For years, we were told to keep waiting,” Jigo said. “We served Kano sincerely, but our entitlements were ignored. This government did not ask which party we belonged to. It simply did what was right.”

Without bitterness, he recalled that repeated appeals under the previous administration of Abdullahi Umar Ganduje produced no result. What remained in his voice was relief that the burden had finally been lifted.

Politically, the decision carried uncommon weight. Opposition governments are often expected to rule in contrast rather than continuity. Yet here, continuity was raised into principle. By settling obligations incurred under previous administrations, the Abba Yusuf government showed that accountability does not depend on authorship, and that justice does not change with party labels.

The intervention went beyond compensation. It was paired with reforms aimed at preventing recurrence, including improved payroll systems, digital record keeping, realistic budgeting, and disciplined fiscal planning. These are the quiet changes that rarely dominate headlines, yet determine whether justice becomes routine or remains an exception.

Local Government remains the foundation of Nigeria’s development framework. It is where education is first encountered, healthcare is most urgently required, and public trust is most easily broken or rebuilt. By honouring former councillors, the state strengthened the morale of those currently serving and reassured those yet to serve that sacrifice will not be repaid with neglect.

History will argue over parties and power, over who stood where and when. But citizens remember governance differently. They remember the moment a debt was paid, a dignity restored, a long wait finally ended. In that memory, justice is not an abstract promise but a tangible act, measured not by speeches but by settlements. Kano’s lesson is quiet yet enduring, that authority gains meaning when it chooses conscience over convenience, and that leadership, at its best, is simply the courage to do what should have been done long ago. When the dust of campaigns settles, it is such moments that remain, not loud enough to cheer, but deep enough to last.

Mustapha writes from Kundila Zoo road

By Lawal Abdullahi

On the night Abuja turned its gaze toward service beyond party loyalty, Kano found itself called by name. In the bright hall of the Presidential Villa, far from the dust and bustle of Kurmi market and the farmlands of Rano, Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf stood before the nation and received an honour that carried more than protocol. It was a rare national salute to performance, offered across political divide, and for Kano it felt like a quiet public vindication of daily struggles that had finally been seen.

When the 2025 Nigeria Excellence Award in Public Service was announced in his name, it was not difficult for ordinary people across the state to connect the dots. The trader in Sabon Gari who now moves with better road access, the teacher in Dawakin Tofa who finally has pupils seated on desks, the nurse in Kumbotso who now works with functional equipment, and the farmer in Garun Malam who received timely inputs all found pieces of their own stories inside that moment of recognition.

The honour was presented on behalf of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu by the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Senator George Akume. In a political climate often shaped by suspicion and rivalry, the recognition of an opposition governor stood as a reminder that service still commands attention beyond party lines. For Kano people, it confirmed what many already believed that visible work still carries weight in national judgment.

Across the state, the signs of that work are not hidden. In education, long neglected school structures have been brought back to life. Classrooms were rehabilitated, roofs restored, furniture supplied, and learning spaces made fit again for young minds. Thousands of teachers were recruited, easing pressure on overcrowded classrooms and restoring balance to a system that had struggled for years. For parents who once worried about the future of their children in underfunded schools, confidence has slowly returned.

Healthcare followed the same practical path of revival. Primary healthcare centres across the local governments received attention through upgrades, supplies, and personnel deployment. In communities where sickness once meant long travel or helpless waiting, people now walk into health facilities with greater hope of being attended to. For mothers, children, and the elderly, the presence of care is no longer an exception but an expectation.

In agriculture, the administration returned its focus to the roots of Kano economy. Support reached farmers through fertilisers, seeds, and extension services delivered with better timing. Productivity improved not by miracle but by method. From the fields of Bichi to the plains of Garko, farming has regained its sense of dignity and possibility. The land once again speaks of sustenance rather than survival.

Within the Kano metropolis, urban renewal began to reshape daily experience. Roads were opened and repaired. Drainage systems were cleared. Flood prone areas received attention. Public infrastructure that once symbolised decay now reflects restoration. The city that has long served as a major commercial heartbeat of the North is slowly reclaiming its form with order and movement.

It was this spread of impact across education, health, agriculture, infrastructure, and social welfare that earned Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf the Nigeria Excellence Award in Public Service. He received it alongside governors from Zamfara, Bauchi, Adamawa, Enugu, and Akwa Ibom States at a ceremony organised by Best Media Relations in partnership with the Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation. The event was presided over by the Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the award, Justice Mary Odili retired. Other recipients included leaders of key national institutions such as NDLEA, EFCC, NFIU, Customs, Immigration, NEMA, and senior federal ministers.

Yet for Kano people, the meaning of the award went deeper than the list of dignitaries present. An opposition governor being publicly honoured by a federal government from another political family carried a lesson that governance can rise above rivalry. It confirmed that results still create bridges where politics often builds walls.

True to character, Governor Yusuf did not keep the honour to himself. He returned it to the people of Kano. He dedicated it to their patience, resilience, and faith in leadership. He renewed his promise to deepen people centred governance and pursue development that does not decorate the surface but touches daily living.

There is a quiet philosophy behind such moments. Power is loud but brief. Service is quiet but lasting. Offices change hands, applause fades, and ceremonies pass into memory, but the effect of a repaired school, a functioning clinic, a productive farm, and a safe road remains long after the crowd has gone. These are the footprints that leadership leaves behind.

Politically, the recognition challenges the old belief that opposition must always mean exclusion. It sends a message to young Kano citizens watching from lecture halls, market stalls, workshops, and farmlands that leadership is not measured by loud promises but by consistent delivery. It also tells public office holders that credibility cannot be borrowed, it is earned slowly through visible effort.

With this honour, Kano stands taller in national conversation not as a state defined only by contests of power but as one increasingly described through performance. For Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf, the award is both affirmation and responsibility. For the people, it is encouragement and reminder that their collective future is shaped not by chance but by deliberate leadership.

When history eventually records this moment, it may not focus on the elegance of the hall or the ceremony of the night. It will remember that in a season of division, service crossed political boundaries, and Kano through one of its own reminded the nation that the work still speaks.

Lawal Abdullahi, writes from Kano

By: Abdulkadir Badsha Mukhtar

Insecurity recognizes no tribe and bows to no religion. It strikes without warning, without names, and without mercy—ravaging villages and cities alike. This sobering reality was forcefully articulated by Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf during a special prayer session convened by the Kano State Government on Sunday, 6 December 2025. The gathering was not merely symbolic; it marked a deliberate and bold response to the growing security challenges confronting the state, signaling a leadership determined to confront fear with faith, action, and collective resolve.
There comes a defining moment in the life of a people when fear can no longer be endured in silence and uncertainty must give way to decisive action. For Kano State, that moment is now. Confronted by the harsh realities of insecurity and violent criminality, the government has chosen not retreat, but resolve. With courage sharpened by clarity of purpose and guided by firm political will, the state is stepping forward—anchored in faith, strengthened by unity, and determined to reclaim peace from the shadows of fear.
The Governor reminded the people that unity is no longer a slogan but a survival imperative, and that division has no place in a collective struggle for peace. He stressed that insecurity thrives where cooperation fails, insisting that every hand must be on deck. His administration, he assured, will continue to offer unwavering support to all stakeholders—traditional institutions, security agencies, community leaders, and citizens—because securing Kano is a shared mission that demands collective ownership.
Beyond rhetoric, the government has moved decisively from promise to practice. Concrete steps have been taken to strengthen the operational capacity of security agencies through the provision of critical logistics. Patrol vehicles and motorcycles have been deployed to enhance mobility and ensure rapid response, particularly in hard-to-reach terrains where criminals often exploit distance and delay. Looking ahead, the administration has pledged to equip operatives with other modern surveillance technologies, signaling a shift toward intelligence-driven security operations capable of detecting and neutralising threats before fear takes root. It is a bold acknowledgment that to some extent, today’s battles cannot be won with yesterday’s tools.
Yet Kano’s response recognises that security is not forged by force alone or modern technology. There are moments when people must also draw strength from faith. In that spirit, the government mobilised over four thousand Qur’anic reciters from all forty-four local government areas of the state to offer special prayers for divine intervention. The gathering was more than a religious exercise; it was a convergence of the spiritual and a collective appeal for peace, protection, and restoration. As the voices of the memorizers rose in unison, they echoed a people’s shared hope and moral resolve.

At the event, the Emir of Kano, Khalifa Dr. Muhammadu Sunusi II, commended the state government for what he described as a timely and thoughtful initiative. He underscored the necessity of aligning prayer with preparedness, stressing that faith and logistics must work hand in hand if insecurity is to be effectively confronted. He urged citizens to support government efforts and cooperate fully with security agencies, warning that silence and indifference only embolden criminal elements. For the Emir, security is not the sole responsibility of government—it is a collective duty that binds every citizen to the fate of the state.
Several respected religious leaders also added their voices in support of the effort. Sheikh Karibullah Nasir Kabara, Sheikh Tijjani Bala Kalarawi and many others praised the initiative and called on the people to rise with renewed patriotism. They urged communities to reject fear and become active participants in the protection of their society. Their message was clear that a people who abandon responsibility risk surrendering their future to chaos.
The determination of the government has also been demonstrated beyond public gatherings. When Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf visited Faruwa village in Shanono local government he went with the leadership of all major security agencies including the Army Police DSS and Civil Defence. It was a visit that sent a strong signal of presence and seriousness. He made it clear that criminals would be confronted head on with the full weight of the law.
Standing before the villagers the governor assured them that the protection of lives and property is a priority that will not be compromised. He pledged that all necessary working equipment would be deployed to restore peace and stability. He also charged the people to provide credible information on the movements of criminal elements stressing that community cooperation remains one of the strongest weapons against insecurity. He extended these assurances to other affected areas including Shanono Tsanyawa Bagwai Ghari and surrounding communities.
The governor further revealed that the matter had been discussed with the President with a shared commitment to resolve the security challenges decisively. According to him other modern devices would be fully deployed and all captives would be rescued intact. It was a message designed not only to comfort the victims but also to warn those who profit from fear that the era of hiding is closing fast.
What makes Kano approach stand out is the balance between faith and force between community participation and government authority and between tradition and technology. It recognises that security is not merely the absence of violence but the presence of justice vigilance unity and shared purpose. It affirms that a society is strongest when its people and its leadership move in the same direction with courage and clarity.
At a time when many states struggle to find lasting solutions to insecurity Kano has chosen action over excuses and unity over division. The political will displayed by the government is a reminder that leadership still matters and that determined governance can still inspire confidence among the people.
Indeed Kano current strategy is worthy of emulation by other states facing similar challenges. It teaches that to defeat insecurity a society must speak with one voice think with one mind and act with one heart. When leadership meets faith and when faith meets responsibility the possibility of peace becomes real.
The journey ahead may be demanding but Kano has clearly refused to surrender to fear. With prayer in the heart technology in the field unity among the people and resolve at the helm the state is steadily rewriting its security story not as a narrative of despair but as a chapter of determined hope.

_Abdulkadir Badsha Mukhtar a veteran journalist, writes from BUK Road, Kano._