Kaduna State Governor, Uba Sani, has revealed that he played a significant role in the appointment of retired General Christopher Musa as Nigeria’s Minister of Defence by President Bola Tinubu.
Sani made the disclosure during an interview on Trust TV’s Daily Politics on Tuesday, explaining why he has continued to support the Tinubu administration despite criticisms from some quarters.
According to the governor, Musa’s appointment was one of the ways Kaduna State benefited from the Federal Government.
“The Minister of Defence is from Kaduna, Christopher Musa, and I was instrumental in him getting the ministerial position,” Sani said.
He also mentioned the appointment of Balarabe Abbas Lawal as Minister of Environment and Shehu Dikko’s role as Chairman of the National Sports Commission as further examples of Kaduna indigenes occupying key positions at the federal level.
Sani stressed that his support for Tinubu was driven by what he described as the President’s positive impact on Kaduna State rather than personal benefits.
“The favour he has done is not to me, it’s to the state. So, for me, my interest is the interest of the state,” he stated.
The governor disclosed that he had personally approached President Tinubu to request two additional federal universities for Kaduna, arguing that the state’s educational importance warranted more higher institutions.
He said the President subsequently approved four major university projects for the state: the Federal University of Applied Sciences in Kachia, the Federal University of Education in Zaria, the Umaru Musa Yar’Adua University of Petroleum Resources in Rigachikun, and the conversion of Kaduna Polytechnic into a Federal University of Technology.
Sani also highlighted several federal road projects approved for the state, including the Kaduna-Birnin Gwari road, which he said had remained abandoned for about 45 years.
According to him, he reminded Tinubu of a campaign promise made in 2022, after which the President approved the reconstruction of the road.
He added that construction had commenced on the 81-kilometre Zaria-Soba-Pambegua road, which he said had not undergone significant reconstruction since its construction in the 1970s.
The governor further mentioned the Jama’a-Wai-Jere road as another project he said was approved following his intervention.
On transportation, Sani said he successfully lobbied for Kaduna to be included in the Federal Government’s proposed light rail programme alongside Lagos and Kano.
He disclosed that funding had been released for the construction of a 50-kilometre rail corridor linking Rigachikun and Sabon Tasha, valued at $865 million, which he put at more than N1.2 trillion.
Sani also said the Federal Government provided additional funding that allowed his administration to double its planned procurement of compressed natural gas buses from 50 to 100.
“Immediately, he gave us intervention to add 50 more CNG buses instead of 50 to make it 100,” the governor said.
He claimed that the 100 buses recorded 5.2 million passenger trips within 18 months and helped commuters save approximately N5 billion in transportation costs.
Sani maintained that the federal appointments, university projects, road construction and transportation initiatives were among the major reasons for his continued support for President Tinubu.
He reiterated that his primary concern was securing development opportunities and greater federal support for Kaduna State.
