In Defence of Truth Against the Merchants of Chaos
By: Muhammad Auwalu Yakasai
In the restless arena of Nigerian politics, it is not unusual for falsehood to dress itself in the garments of activism. At sensitive times, when accountability begins to take root and reforms disturb the old order, faceless groups suddenly emerge. They come with rented voices and placards of convenience, rehearsing anger that has been bought and paid for. Their loyalty is not to justice but to the highest bidder, and their real mission is not truth but disruption.
The latest example comes from a body calling itself the *Forum of Kano Civil Society Organisations Against Corruption*. While their name suggests credibility, their actions betray a different reality. Their sudden interest in shouting “corruption” is less about accountability and more about shielding disgraced patrons whose nightmares are named transparency and reform.
Let us speak plainly: not a single anti-corruption agency in Nigeria—neither the EFCC nor the ICPC—has indicted, charged, or issued any investigative report against Alhaji Abdullahi Ibrahim Rogo. There is no judgment, no official finding, no proven evidence. What exists instead are recycled claims amplified into headlines, whispers circulated in political corners, and rumours dressed up as scandal. To call such unproven allegations “evidence” is to dignify gossip.
The hypocrisy of this drama is not lost on the people of Kano. When corruption once paraded itself openly—when videos showed dollar bills hidden in flowing robes, when public lands were sold in secret, when contracts were inflated beyond reason—these same voices were silent. There were no petitions then, no protests, no campaigns for accountability. But now, as a new administration is working to rebuild what was destroyed, suddenly their tongues have loosened. This is not conscience at work; it is vengeance for lost privileges.
Among their claims are stories of palliative diversion, fraudulent contracts, and phantom projects. Yet the facts speak differently. For the first time in years, food distribution in Kano has been placed under the direct supervision of respected traditional rulers, imams, and community leaders. This is a deliberate effort to remove politics from relief and ensure fairness. Where small breaches appear, they are acknowledged and corrected openly. This is not the secrecy of yesterday; this is the transparency of today.
On contracts, Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf’s administration has taken bold steps to sanitize processes. Inflated contracts are being reviewed, abandoned projects revived, and questionable awards investigated. Rather than sweep dirt under the rug, this administration has lifted the rug, exposed the dust, and demanded accountability. That is not complicity; it is courage.
Still, the loudest irony remains: those who accuse do so from the shadows. Authentic civil society groups do not hide behind anonymity. They sign their names, they present facts, and they embrace scrutiny. The so-called “Forum” that now parades itself offers no clear identity, no legacy of service, only unsigned statements and loud microphones. Advocacy without openness is not advocacy; it is sabotage disguised as virtue.
Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf did not come into office to bow to blackmail. He was elected on a clear mandate to repair a state wounded by years of mismanagement and plunder. In less than a year, his administration has reopened technical schools, revived hospitals, sanitized contracting, and begun to rebuild critical infrastructure that was abandoned. These are tangible realities, not mere promises. For every false accusation, there is a visible achievement.
The people of Kano are not blind. They remember the past—the scandals, the dollar videos, the mortgaged dignity of a great state. They also see the present—renewed schools, functioning hospitals, fairer contracts, and relief programs supervised with integrity. Memory is a powerful shield. No rented crowd or faceless forum can erase what people have lived and witnessed.
To Nigeria’s anti-corruption institutions, the call is simple: pursue evidence, not propaganda. Let judgments be guided by facts, not headlines written by mercenaries. Investigate where there is proof; ignore where there is noise without substance. This is the only way to preserve credibility and strengthen public trust.
And to those who howl in the name of civil society while hiding behind faceless banners: if you have proof, present it before the law. If you have facts, submit them to the appropriate agencies. But if all you have is rumour and political sponsorship, then step aside. For noise without truth is not accountability; it is merely the echo of fear.
Truth does not tremble. It does not beg for audience. Like light, it may be hidden for a while by passing clouds, but it cannot be buried. In Kano today, truth is reflected not in faceless allegations but in visible service. Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf and Alhaji Abdullahi Ibrahim Rogo stand firmly on the side of reform, accountability, and progress.
Against the chorus of chaos, their records remain steady and unbroken. And when the dust of propaganda finally settles, it will not be the rumours that endure, but the truth—clear, undeniable, and unshaken.
*Yakasai writes from Kano*