Governor Uba Sani of Kaduna State has challenged Northern leaders to engage in honest introspection and take responsibility for the underdevelopment confronting the region.
The Governor made the call while speaking at the launch of the book, Gani Fawehinmi and Uba Sani: A Tale of Mentor and Mentee, authored by Chief Gani Fawehinmi’s daughter, Mrs Basirat Fawehinmi-Biobaku, SAN.
The governor said the North could no longer continue to attribute its developmental challenges to external circumstances, stressing that education, empowerment and human capital development must become collective priorities for the region’s leaders.
According to him, Northern leaders, himself included, must ask whether they have done enough to advance the development of the region and act with greater urgency to address its challenges.
Sani, who described the book launch as more than a literary event, said the occasion provided an opportunity to honour the memory and legacy of his late mentor, Chief Abdul-Ganiyu Oyesola Fawehinmi, SAN, GCON, while reflecting on the values of courage, justice, democracy, education and service that defined his life.
He expressed appreciation to Fawehinmi-Biobaku for documenting his relationship with the late human rights lawyer and pro-democracy activist, saying the book had preserved an important chapter of Nigeria’s history and the tradition of mentorship, sacrifice and public service.
Uba Sani recalled his role in extending Chief Fawehinmi’s scholarship scheme to Northern Nigeria, where, he said, more than 1,000 brilliant but indigent students benefited.
He said many of the beneficiaries had gone on to become accomplished professionals, adding that the experience reinforced his conviction that investment in the education of one young person could transform families, uplift communities and change the destiny of generations.
He said the values instilled in him by his late mentor continued to shape his approach to governance in Kaduna State, particularly in the areas of education, vocational training, human capital development and social inclusion.
Sani also expressed gratitude to comrades, activists and other distinguished Nigerians who attended the event and reflected on his relationship with Fawehinmi and his participation in the pro-democracy struggle.
He said their description of him as a living reflection of Fawehinmi’s values was humbling, but added that it also imposed a responsibility to preserve and advance the ideals for which his mentor lived and fought.
“Public service must ultimately be judged not by titles or acclaim, but by the difference it makes in the lives of ordinary people,” he said.
The governor further disclosed that proceeds from the book launch would be used to provide scholarships to brilliant but indigent Nigerian students, describing the initiative as a continuation of the educational empowerment tradition established by Chief Fawehinmi in 1973.
He urged Nigerians, particularly leaders, to sustain the legacy of the late legal icon by investing in people and promoting justice, democracy, education and service to humanity.
Sani thanked all those who contributed to the publication and the successful organisation of the event, praying that Chief Fawehinmi’s legacy would continue to inspire generations of Nigerians.
