It shocks me and all other Kaduna people who read a piece written by one Danjuma Musa (pen name of course), over a Press Statement issued by the Chief Press Secretary to the Governor of Kano State, one Mr Abba Anwar, about a claim that Kaduna state governor Mr Nasiru El-Rufa’i copies strategy on how to fight against drug abuse, from the Kano state governor, Dr Abdullahi Umar Ganduje.
What is more catchy with devastating influence, is the first paragraph of that piece, which shows how frustrated and liquidifying the author and his henchmen men are over the dethronement of the then Emir of Kano City, Muhammadu Sanusi II. There was no point of making any reference with Sanusi’s removal and the press release issued by Anwar, on this matter. That paragraph alone shows how biased the whole piece would be.
Musa, as the name given to the author, is challenged to tell us what are the glaring impacts of Kaduna State Bureau of Substance Abuse, Prevention and Treatment, that was said to be established by governor El-Rufa’i since 2016? Ganduje’s far reaching achievement was his ability to move the state from being number one on the list of the states with drug abuse to BECOME NUMBER SIX on the list! This is an excellent disposition of a committed leader!!! Take it or leave it.
Let the author of that piece tell us how that Agency gets to the root cause as Ganduje was able to made a breakthrough, even without similar body. The Task Force Agains Drug Abuse in Kano, that Ganduje instituted during the early days of his administration, earlier than 2016, performed wonderfully well, to the extent that, Kaduna Agency had to borrow so many leaves in its modus operandi. My reader should go and see how it all started.
So for any other person to stand up and make this factual appraisal about Kaduna copying Kano, is not anything that deserves movement of an eye brow. Not to talk of making frustrating arguments and link them with the removal of Sanusi II, from the throne of Kano City Emirate.
How many times did Kaduna Agency destroyed such substances and of what worth in terms of Naira and Kobo? Governor Ganduje’s efforts are always being appreciated by experts and authorities that are concerned with the fight against drug abuse and all other substances.
Just read what the Commandant of the National Drugs Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) in Kano, Dr Ibrahim Abdul said, during an occasion referred to by Anwar’s press release, that, “When governor Ganduje assumed the mantle of leadership, Kano was the first in the list of states with drug abuse. But because of what the governor has been doing to safeguard his state, Kano is now the 6th in the list. This is highly commendable by all standard.”
Such accolades are many in Ganduje’s circle. Of which he was acknowledged within and outside Nigeria. Just go and ask those agencies that are responsible for the fight against counterfeit drugs and drug abuse. Nobody is lying about anything. We live in a world where the whole universe is on our palm.
I challenge the author of that piece to make possible clarification and workable suggestion on this argument, when markets and business areas that accommodate so many youth are crushed by state government on one hand. And on another hand, same government comes up with what it thinks and refers as anti drug abuse agency. How can these strange bed-fellowed-positions work positive for the state? Is this state really serious and interested about fighting drug abuse? Is there anything worth emulating from that state?
While on the other side of the coin, you have another state that created a Task Force fighting counterfeit and drug abuse and at the same time empowered over a Million youth and women. And at the end of it all, her position of number One drug abuse state drops to NUMBER SIX. Does this state get strategies worth copying or not? Not to talk of reinvigorating Reformatory Centres.
Go and check the composition of Ganduje’s Task Force Against Drug Abuse and El-Rufa’I’s State Agency Against Drug Abuse and see who is really serious about what he is doing. Go and check their achievements within these years under study. So also it is absolutely necessary to understand that window show Walk/March Against drugs is not and cannot be an alternative to seriously planned commitment in this all-important fight.
To show you how upside down that write-up is, the author doesn’t even understand who he was facing. Is it the Chief Press Secretary or the NDLEA Commandant? In his piece he says, “The Commandant of the National Drugs Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) Kano office, Dr Ibrahim Abdul, THE SOURCE OF GLARING MISINFORMATION (emphasis mine), can be pardoned for peddling in falsehood.”
He continued “For his education (referring to NDLEA Commandant, Kano office), Kaduna state doesn’t have Special Adviser on Substance Abuse, but a Director General, in charge of the agency.”
My point of argument is this, is this writer challenging Anwar or the Commandant of the NDLEA? It appears he doesn’t know who among the duo should be challenged. The many mixed-ups and bleaky face of his piece, shows glaringly how upside down policies could be in a given state.
From the grapevine we have three vital discoveries. First and foremost, the piece uses Danjuma Musa as a pen name. The real author is highly placed than the name given. Secondly, if the write-up didn’t serve the intended purpose, the NDLEA Commandant would be forced to retract the disclosure.
And thirdly, technology would be employed to put the name of another state on the moving lips of the Commandant, so that it could sound and look as if the Commandant was making reference to another state, which pronunciation goes very similar with Kaduna state.
Kachiya writes from Kaduna