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MILESTONE

Published

1 year ago

September 10, 2025

Our Reporter

GARLANDS OF GRACE:

Radda’s Life of Service to Katsina

@Ibrahim Kaula Mohammed

“Government is an institution which prevents injustice other than such as it commits itself,” wrote the great Arabian scholar Ibn Khaldun centuries ago. Yet in Governor Dikko Umaru Radda, Katsina has found a leader who proves that governance can indeed be an instrument of justice rather than its obstacle. Radda’s journey from a classroom teacher at Radda Day Secondary School to the state’s top echelon office reads like a testament to the power of purposeful service.

As we may be aware, some leaders announce their arrival with fanfare, while others let their work speak for itself. Governor Radda belongs firmly to the latter camp. At 56, this quiet architect of change has spent his time in office transforming lives.

Check through the journey so far. Radda’s path to leadership was carved through dedication to public service. From his early days as a teacher shaping young minds, through his appointment as Sole Administrator of Charanchi LGA by the late President Umaru Musa Yar’adua, to his election as Chairman of Charanchi Local Government, each role prepared him for greater responsibility. His tenure as Chief of Staff to former Governor Aminu Bello Masari and later as Director General of the Small and Medium Enterprises Development Agency of Nigeria (SMEDAN) saw him introduce programs that breathed life into the MSMEs sub-sector.

When he took office as Governor, Katsina State was bleeding. Farmers abandoned their fields. Children walked to school in fear. Markets emptied as bandits turned economic centres into ghost towns. The very foundation of the state—agriculture—lay in ruins, crushed under the weight of insecurity. Families slept with one eye open, if they slept at all.

But Radda did not inherit these problems to manage them. He inherited them to solve them.

I must tell you for a fact, his approach was surgical in its precision. First, he created the Ministry of Internal Security and Home Affairs—not as window dressing, but as a war room. Then came the State Security Council Advisory Committee, bringing together traditional rulers, community leaders, religious figures, and retired security personnel. This was not a consultation for show; this was a strategic plan to harvest wisdom from every corner of society.

Remember, the establishment of the Katsina State Community Watch Corps (C-WATCH) became his masterstroke. Here was a governor who understood that security could not be imported from Abuja—it had to grow from the soil of Katsina itself. He armed local communities with the tools and authority to protect themselves, turning ordinary citizens into guardians of their own destiny.

Money followed vision. Billions of naira flowed into Armoured Personnel Carriers, Hilux vehicles, and sophisticated equipment. Critics would stop and call it expensive; victims of banditry called it overdue. Radda called it necessary.

The governor’s recent visit to President Bola Tinubu was not a publicity stunt—it was a chess move. While others send memos, Radda shows up. While others make phone calls, he makes the journey. This is leadership that refuses to outsource responsibility.

Yet security is only one chapter in the Radda story. Walk through Katsina today and witness infrastructure rising like monuments. The Kofar Soro-Kofar Guga road is serving the people of Katsina State. The 24-kilometre Eastern Bypass also brings numerous economic opportunities to the people. How about the Light Up Katsina project, which has turned darkness into hope and chased away evil-doers from the streets of Katsina?

Schools that once looked like abandoned buildings now gleam with fresh paint and renewed purpose. Over 175 primary healthcare facilities have been upgraded, transforming healthcare from a privilege of the few to a right of the many. These are lifelines thrown to communities that had learned to expect nothing.

What sets Radda apart is not his impressive resume or his academic credentials. It is his refusal to govern from an ivory tower. He listens not because focus groups tell him to, but because he genuinely believes that the people he serves know their needs better than any consultant ever could.

His simplicity is not an act; it is a philosophy. He chooses substance over spectacle. While some leaders seek validation from social media, he finds it in the faces of farmers returning to their fields, in the laughter of children walking safely to school, and in the prayers of mothers who no longer fear the night.

Opposition voices have tried to drown out his achievements, but Radda maintains his lane with the focus of a surgeon. He does not govern for headlines; he governs for history and builds foundations.

The fight against insecurity in Katsina is far from over, but under Radda’s watch, hope has returned to communities that had forgotten what it looked like. Fear still exists, but it no longer rules. Progress is not just a campaign promise—it is a daily reality being written on the streets, in the schools, and in the hearts of the people.

As Governor Radda turns 56, he does so not as a politician celebrating another year, but as a servant marking another milestone in his commitment to service. This birthday belongs to every farmer who has returned to the field, every child who walks to school without fear, and every family that sleeps peacefully through the night.

The years ahead will test Governor Radda further, but if the past is any indication, he will meet those tests the same way he has met everything else—with quiet determination, genuine care, and an unshakeable belief that the people of Katsina deserve leaders who work as hard as they do.

May this new year of his life bring him continued strength, wisdom, and the health needed to complete the transformation he has begun. Katsina has found in Dikko Umaru Radda a guardian. And guardians, true ones, never rest until their watch is complete.

Happy Birthday, Gwagwaren Katsina!

Ibrahim Kaula Mohammed is the Chief Press Secretary to the Governor of Katsina State

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Alao-Akala’s Widow Urges Full Implementation Of LG Autonomy

Published

2 hours ago

October 7, 2026

Our Reporter

Drums support for Tinubu, APC candidates

Stephen Olufemi Oni, Ilorin

The Chairperson of the Akala Transformation Movement (ATM) and former First Lady of Oyo State, Chief (Mrs) Oluwakemi Alao-Akala, has called for the full implementation of local government autonomy, saying it will bring governance closer to Nigerians and accelerate development at the grassroots.

Alao-Akala made the call during an ATM outreach held at Equilibrium Resorts, Ojongbodu, Oyo West Local Government Area of Oyo State, where she also urged Nigerians, particularly women, to support the administration of President Bola Tinubu and participate actively in the democratic process.

She said the effective functioning of local governments was crucial because they remained the closest tier of government to the people.

“One important thing I am preaching now is local government autonomy. Obviously, we are going to have our local governments properly elected. They are going to be funded, and they are the closest to the people,” she said.

The former First Lady urged Nigerians to understand and assess the impact of government policies before making political decisions, stressing that the coming years should be devoted to consolidating ongoing reforms and ensuring that their benefits reach ordinary citizens.

She also called on women to remain actively involved in governance and continue supporting leaders through their votes and prayers.

According to her, voting remained a major responsibility of citizens because it determines the quality and direction of leadership at all levels.

Alao-Akala further urged ATM members and supporters to work for the success of the All Progressives Congress (APC) and support its candidates in state and national elections ahead of the 2027 general elections.

She clarified that ATM was a movement and not a political party, adding that its activities were aimed at mobilising support for the APC and its candidates.

Meanwhile, the Director-General of ATM, Mr Demola Alao-Akala, said the movement would continue to preserve and promote the legacy of his late father, former Oyo State Governor, Otunba Adebayo Alao-Akala.

He said the essence of the movement was not merely to remember the late governor but to sustain the values and principles he stood for, particularly people-oriented governance and the welfare of ordinary citizens.

“The concept of remembrance of our father is about making sure that his legacy survives. When he left, he left us a pattern, and we strongly believe that the legacy he left behind can be used to propagate his ideas and keep his memory alive,” he said.

The ATM DG said members of the movement were determined to build on the ideals of service and good governance associated with the late governor.

“We believe strongly that if we are alive, we are going to go back to our lives and continue in the spirit that he showed. We are moving forward, and I think we are supposed to continue,” he added.

Alao-Akala said the late governor’s political philosophy placed the welfare of the people at the centre of governance, noting that democracy should ultimately be judged by its positive impact on citizens.

He assured ATM members that the movement would remain committed to promoting the late governor’s ideals while mobilising support for programmes and candidates it believes can improve the lives of Nigerians.

“We are going forward,” he declared.

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Bank Cannot Freeze Customer’s Account Without Valid Court Order — Zarewa

Published

10 hours ago

October 7, 2026

Our Reporter

A legal practitioner, Mr M. D. Zarewa, has said that a bank cannot freeze or restrict a customer’s account without a valid court order.
Zarewa said it was prevalent in the society for law enforcement agencies to give directives to banks to freeze customers’ accounts whenever there was a pending case before them, adding that banks often complied with such directives.
He, however, said such practice was alien to Nigeria’s jurisprudence, stressing that banks were enjoined not to interfere with or restrict the activities of any customer’s account without a valid court order.
According to him, it is trite law and settled beyond argument that a bank cannot freeze a customer’s account without a valid court order.
He said the position was entrenched in the case of GTB Plc v. Olachi & Anor (2025) LPELR-81833(CA), where the Court of Appeal held that “whether frozen or restricted, neither can be done without the valid order of a Court of Law.”
Zarewa further cited GTBank v. Adedamola (2019) 5 NWLR (Pt. 1664) 30 at 43, Paras. E-F, where the court held:
“Before freezing customer’s account or placing any form of restraint on any account, the bank must be satisfied that there is an Order of Court.
“By the provisions of Section 34 of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission Act 2004, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission has no power to give direct instructions to banks to freeze the account of a customer without an Order of Court. So doing, constitutes a flagrant disregard and violation of the rights of a customer.”
The lawyer said any customer whose account had been frozen or restricted without a valid court order could institute a suit against the bank for grossly violating his or her rights.
He said such a customer could particularly seek redress for the violation of the right to own movable and immovable property and seek compensation from the court.
Furthermore, Zarewa said the law was trite that where there was a wrong, there was a remedy, as captured in the Latin maxim, Ubi jus ibi remedium.

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Gov AbdulRazaq Inaugurates 464-Unit Housing Estate In Kwara

Published

10 hours ago

October 7, 2026

Our Reporter

Stephen Olufemi Oni, Ilorin

‌‌‌‍‍‍⁠⁠‍⁠⁠Kwara State Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq has inaugurated the ‘AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq Morire Housing Estate’ in Ijagbo, Oyun Local Government Area of the State.

Speaking at the groundbreaking of the housing estates, which included 210 units of two-bedroom terrace apartments, 200 units of three-bedroom units and 54 units of four-bedroom terrace duplexes, the
Governor, noted that housing should not be seen or regarded as a luxury, but rather as a fundamental human requirement and cornerstone of dignity, security, and family stability, lamenting the daunting challenge of addressing housing deficits across the country.

He said: “Dear Kwarans, housing is not a luxury. Basic housing is a
fundamental human need and a cornerstone of dignity, security,
and family stability. Yet, across Nigeria and indeed in Kwara State,
the challenge of addressing housing deficit is daunting.

“This administration believes that inadequacy of proper shelter
for Nigerians is not merely a problem of not building enough
houses. Indeed, several studies have attributed the housing deficit in Nigeria to a complex mix of causes, key among them being high costs and rising costs of building materials, weak finance, difficult land systems, infrastructure gaps, institutional limitations, among others.

“On behalf of the people of Kwara, I thank the management of ISHI
Homes Limited for this partnership and for choosing Kwara State
as the location for this important development.”

Represented by the Commissioner for Housing and Urban Development, Dr Segun Ogunsola, the Governor applauded the developer for recognising his administration’s contributions to mass housing development in the State.

“The administration has consistently placed housing development high on its agenda. The government recognises access to decent and affordable housing as essential to the wellbeing of the people.

“The State Government has also been in active collaboration with
institutional partners including the Federal Ministry of Housing
with a view to increasing housing stock in the State.

“Recently, we acquired a housing estate with over 130 flats at
Ogbondoroko in Asa LGA of the State. Government has approved
that the estate be onboarded onto the administration’s social
support scheme,” he disclosed.

AbdulRazaq said the commitment was reflected in the development of the Kwara Smart City and other mass housing initiatives across the State.

The Governor disclosed that his reforms in land administration have reduced the processing time for Certificate of Occupancy (C of O) from 180 days to 35 days.

AbdulRazaq said the improved turnaround time demonstrated the administration’s commitment to making land administration more transparent, efficient and investor-friendly.

Earlier in his remarks, the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of ISHI Homes, Dr Olayinka Ilufoye, said the project was intended to democratise home ownership and make decent and affordable housing accessible to the people of Kwara South senatorial district.

Ilufoye said the estate was meant for civil servants, traders and other Nigerians who can access it through the National Housing Fund (NHF).

“The name AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq Morire, which translates to ‘I have seen goodness’, is a deliberate expression of our faith, hope and expectation.

“We believe this estate will become a testimony of prosperity, progress and abundance in Kwara South,” he said.

Ilufoye pledged that the company would remain committed to transparency, accountability, quality construction and timely delivery.

The Executive Chairman of the Kwara State Geographic Information Service (KWGIS), Alhaji Sulyman Abdulkareem said the state government has consistently placed housing development high on its development agenda.

He commended the state government for ensuring access to land, facilitating the prompt issuance of titles and certificate of occupancy.

Abdulkareem pointed out that by providing timely approval for mortgage transactions, the Governor is creating the conditions necessary for housing development to thrive in Kwara State.