Looters who targeted the Kano National Library in Kano State during the #EndBadGovernanceInNigeria protest took everything except the books. Ahmad Sajoh views this as a sign of deeper issues within Northern Nigeria.
Sajoh, a former commissioner for information and strategy in Adamawa State, on Arise Television programme argues that the ongoing protests are targeting the northern elite rather than President Bola Tinubu.
Sajoh criticised the northern elite for their failure to address youth empowerment, resulting in a significant number of uneducated, out-of-school children. According to him, this neglect has created an environment ripe for insurgent recruitment.
“When they broke into the national library in Kano, they took away everything except books. That tells you their direction is different from what you might think,” Sajoh said.
He expressed concerns over the political exploitation of the unrest, suggesting that some protests are driven by opportunists seeking to gain political advantage.
Sajoh noted, “I think there are political hawks, opportunists trying to cash in on this discontent.”
While Sajoh acknowledged President Tinubu’s empathetic nationwide address and his willingness to engage in dialogue, he raised concerns about the violent turn of some protests.
He criticised the involvement of young children and the display of foreign flags as dangerous deviations from the protests’ original intent.
Sajoh urged citizens to hold their leaders accountable and to ensure that the dialogue initiated by the President leads to meaningful reforms in governance and youth empowerment.
