TheCable

The Southern Kaduna Peoples Union (SOKAPU) has called on Uba Sani, governor of the state, to run an all-inclusive government that will be fair to all sections.

Speaking with reporters on Wednesday, Luka Binniyat, spokesperson of the group, urged Sani to do everything within his power to ensure the security of lives and properties in the state.

“Our expectations from the government of Uba Sani is that he will significantly turn away from the sectional and discriminatory policies of his predecessor, Nasir el-Rufai and run an all-inclusive government,” Binniyat said.

“We have seen the appointments he has made recently, but it is not too bad. We are not scoring him yet, but it is a far departure from el-Rufai.

“We understand that the re-appointment of the secretary to the state government (SSG) who served for eight years under the el-Rufai administration was allowed to stay as a result of passionate appeal or so. So we believe that the SSG is there in an acting capacity.

“The appointments are not totally satisfactory but fairer than el-Rufai. He has not finished making the appointments. There are commissioners and board appointments to be made, there are still ministers and other federal appointments to be made.

“So we are expecting that there will be fairness in all these appointments.”

Binniyat called on the governor not to see the people of southern Kaduna as those who are irrationally combative or against a Muslim being governor of the state.

“We are against any leader who does not take us as equals to Muslims in Kaduna state. We are stakeholders in Kaduna state and should not be treated as inferior,” he said.

“El-Rufai excluded Christian areas in the provision of infrastructure. If you go to Kafanchan for example, the area where the emirate is located has nylon-tarred roads, street lights and good drainages.

“The palace of the Emir of Jama’a was reconstructed. Just directly opposite the emirate where our people are living, the roads are dilapidated, drainages have collapsed, you will not believe that we are in the same state and same local government headquarters.

“Throughout the tenure of el-Rufai, there is no one village in southern Kaduna that benefitted from a two-kilometre road project or culvert or bridge. The loan that he took on our behalf only benefitted a section of the state.

“So it is the turn of Uba Sani to do justice, to balance this inequality and injustice el-Rufai wroth on us.”