Uba Sani’s aide defends Musa, urges critics to respond with facts

The Senior Special Adviser to Kaduna State Governor Uba Sani on Public Affairs, Victor Mathew Bobai, has defended Minister of Defence Christopher Musa over his recent comments concerning former Kaduna State Governor Nasir El-Rufai, urging critics to challenge the minister with facts rather than resort to personal attacks.

Bobai said it was unfair to interpret Musa’s remarks during a recent Channels Television interview as a politically motivated or personal attack on the former governor.

The governor’s aide made the statement amid controversy surrounding Musa’s assessment of events in Kaduna State during El-Rufai’s administration.

During the interview, Musa criticised aspects of El-Rufai’s eight-year administration, alleging that some of the former governor’s policies and actions contributed to divisions between communities in Kaduna.

The Defence Minister also spoke about grievances in parts of Southern Kaduna, including killings recorded during the period, and said some residents remained unhappy over how the situation was handled.

Musa further praised Governor Uba Sani for what he described as efforts to promote greater unity and improve relations among communities across the state.

Despite his criticism of the former governor, Musa said he did not regard El-Rufai as an enemy, describing him instead as “misguided.”

Reacting to the controversy, Bobai argued that Musa’s comments should be understood as part of public discourse and should not be interpreted as an official military position or directive.

“We must distinguish between an official directive and a political opinion. General Musa did not issue a military order, announce a defence policy or instruct the Armed Forces to support any political party.

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“He participated in a public conversation and expressed his assessment of the political environment,” Bobai said.

The aide acknowledged the responsibilities attached to Musa’s position as Minister of Defence, but argued that holding a senior public office does not prevent an official from participating in discussions on issues of national importance.

He urged those who disagreed with Musa’s assessment to focus on the substance of his claims and provide evidence to counter them.

“Challenge General Musa’s facts if you disagree with them. Produce evidence. Correct him where necessary. But don’t replace argument with insults,” Bobai said.

Bobai also highlighted Musa’s military career, noting that he served in several command positions before becoming Chief of Defence Staff and later Minister of Defence.

“This is a man whose professional life was built around the Nigerian flag before any political party became relevant to his present position,” he said.

The governor’s aide further urged journalists, political commentators and other stakeholders to examine the public record when assessing the claims made during the interview.

He specifically called for scrutiny of El-Rufai’s speeches, interviews and public statements, alongside Musa’s comments, saying the issues raised had been subjects of public debate in Kaduna for several years.

Bobai also cautioned media organisations against presenting allegations or disputed political claims as established facts without supporting evidence or an authoritative finding.

The controversy followed Musa’s remarks about the political and security situation in Kaduna under El-Rufai, who governed the state between 2015 and 2023.

Musa alleged that Kaduna became deeply divided during the former governor’s tenure and referred to tensions between northern and southern parts of the state.

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He also claimed that some residents of Southern Kaduna faced insecurity and restrictions during the period, while others moved away from certain areas because of the tension.

The minister maintained that his comments were not driven by his Kaduna background but by his concern about national unity and the need for political leaders to bring Nigerians together.

Musa also called for political leadership that would reduce ethnic and religious divisions rather than exploit them for political advantage.

However, some of the claims made during the interview remain allegations and should not be treated as established facts without supporting evidence or findings from relevant authorities.

Bobai said defending the Defence Minister did not require attacking those who disagreed with him, stressing that evidence should form the basis of any response.

“Defending General Musa does not require attacking his critics. Our strongest defence is evidence, his record of service and the truth,” he said.

The intervention by Uba Sani’s aide comes as political debate intensifies around the legacy of the former Kaduna governor and the direction of the state ahead of the 2027 general elections.

Bobai called for continued public debate on contentious issues affecting Kaduna State and Nigeria, but urged political actors, journalists and members of the public to engage one another through evidence-based arguments, responsible journalism and respect for the rule of law.

Uba Sani’s aide defends Musa, urges critics to respond with facts

Lagos-Ibadan Expressway: FG begins Kara Bridge repairs Tuesday, deploys traffic agencies

Motorists plying the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway should brace for fresh traffic disruption as the Federal Government begins a two-week repair of the damaged expansion joints on the Kara Bridge from Tuesday, September 8.

The Federal Ministry of Works announced the planned intervention on Saturday, saying traffic control measures would be introduced throughout the repair period to minimise congestion and protect motorists.

The Acting Controller, Federal Ministry of Works, Ogun State, Engr. Richard Adeleye, disclosed this during an inspection of the affected section of the expressway.

Adeleye said the expansion joints had exceeded their service life and had become a safety concern for motorists using the heavily trafficked highway.

He explained that the repair would be executed in phases, with one half of the affected section closed at a time while traffic is allowed to move slowly on the other half.

“There will be traffic control here from the 8th of this month, which will last for two weeks, precisely because of the curing that is expected before it is opened to traffic,” Adeleye said.

According to him, the first half of the expansion joint would be repaired for about a week before work would be switched to the other end, allowing traffic to continue throughout the exercise.

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He said personnel of the Federal Road Safety Corps, Ogun State Traffic Compliance and Enforcement Corps and the Lagos State Traffic Management Authority, among other agencies, would be deployed to manage traffic around the construction zone.

Adeleye explained that expansion joints are critical components of bridges, designed to absorb movement caused by temperature changes.

He warned that failure to replace damaged joints could result in more serious structural defects, including buckling and cracking of the bridge.

“Without expansion joints on the bridge, there could be serious damage to the bridge itself because of expansion due to the heat during the day and shrinking during the cold times of the day,” he said.

“The expansion joint absorbs that movement of the bridge; otherwise, it can cause serious damage by buckling or cracking.”

The controller assured motorists that the rehabilitation would be completed within two weeks, “all things being equal.”

He appealed to road users to exercise patience and comply with traffic directives during the exercise, noting that the damaged expansion joint had contributed to accidents along the section.

Lagos-Ibadan Expressway: FG begins Kara Bridge repairs Tuesday, deploys traffic agencies

Oloyede: Muslim Women Can Attain Highest Academic Rank — History Proves It

Former JAMB Registrar Prof. Is-haq Oloyede and university don Prof. Kamaldeen Balogun have charged newly elevated Professor Habibat Oladosu-Uthman to view her new rank as a responsibility to humanity rather than a status symbol.

Prof. Is-haq Oloyede, former Registrar of the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB), and university don Prof. Kamaldeen Balogun have charged the newly elevated Professor Habibat Oladosu-Uthman to regard her professorship as a responsibility to humanity rather than a privilege or status symbol. Oladosu-Uthman was recently elevated to the rank of Professor at the Department of Arabic and Islamic Studies, University of Ibadan. The event was marked with a reception and thanksgiving ceremony held at the University of Ibadan Central Mosque in Ibadan, Oyo State, bringing together members of the academic community, Muslim scholars, family members, friends and associates to honour her contributions to scholarship.

Oloyede, who chaired the ceremony celebrating her elevation, described professorship as the formal recognition of years of intellectual labour, disciplined scholarship, teaching, mentorship and service, stressing that the rank also comes with greater responsibility. “An occasion such as this is much more than a celebration of a new title. It is the formal recognition of sustained intellectual labour, disciplined scholarship, teaching, mentorship, service and contribution to knowledge. It is, at the same time, the beginning of a heavier responsibility,” he said. The former JAMB boss lauded Oladosu-Uthman’s academic journey and scholarly contributions, noting her specialisation in Islamic thought and civilisation, gender studies, comparative religion, Christian-Muslim relations, cultural criticism, Islam in West Africa, and interreligious and intercultural dialogue. He urged her to continue to mentor younger academics, stressing that the true measure of a professor should include the ability to produce other scholars. According to him, “A Professor must produce other scholars. A Professor who publishes extensively but produces no intellectual successors has achieved only part of the assignment.”

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Oloyede also commended the achievement of Oladosu-Uthman as a Muslim woman attaining the highest academic rank, noting that Islamic history provides ample evidence of women making significant contributions to scholarship. He said the question should not be whether women are capable of attaining the highest level of scholarship, adding that history had already provided the answer. The former JAMB registrar also urged the new professor to use her scholarship to promote interreligious and intercultural understanding, stressing that religious scholarship should contribute to truth, justice, compassion and human dignity.

On his part, Prof. Balogun, who delivered the thanksgiving lecture at the reception, cautioned her against allowing her new status to create a distance between her and others. He urged her to remain humble, receptive to corrections and conscious of the limitations of human knowledge. Balogun said: “Remember always that the Professor does not know everything. A student may ask a question that the Professor cannot answer.” He added: “Remember also that humility is the glory of mortals. Humility affects how we respond to corrections, supervise our students, relate with our colleagues and lead our research teams.” Balogun also reminded Oladosu-Uthman that academic titles and appointments were not permanent, urging her to focus on the impact she would make through her new position. “No condition is permanent. Appointments end. Titles change. People will always remember how you treated them and what they were able to achieve through you now that you are a Professor,” he said.

The don also urged her to see humanity as her constituency, regardless of her academic achievements. “No matter how high you rise in academia, remain human. Consider the entire humanity as your constituency,” Balogun said. He described knowledge as an amanah (trust), saying scholars had a responsibility to ensure that knowledge was deployed for the good of society.

Prof. Habibat Oladosu-Uthman obtained her PhD in Islamic Thought and Civilization from the International Islamic University of Malaysia in 2011. Her research interests span comparative religion, Christian-Muslim relations, cultural criticism, Islam in West Africa, and gender studies. She is currently one of the focal persons at the University of Ibadan Gender Mainstreaming Office. She is also an International Fellow of the King Abdullah bin AbdulAziz International Centre for Interreligious and Intercultural Dialogue (KAICIID) in Lisbon, Portugal (2019 cohort). In July 2026, Oladosu-Uthman delivered a lecture calling for the adoption of Qur’anic and Prophetic models as effective strategies for preventing gender-based violence against women and girls. She argued that adherence to Islamic principles would promote peace, justice and respect for human dignity, stating that “the Qur’anic and Prophetic models celebrate human dignity whether male or female.” She also condemned harmful cultural practices that violate the rights and dignity of women, including widowhood rites and festivals that restrict women’s movement. Balogun also paid tribute to pioneers of Arabic and Islamic scholarship, including Musa Oladipupo Ajilogba Abdul and Ismail Ayinla Babatunde Balogun, as well as other scholars whose contributions helped shape the development of Islamic studies in Nigerian universities.

Oloyede: Muslim Women Can Attain Highest Academic Rank — History Proves It