By Editor
Muhammad Mahdi Shehu’s reaction to the proposed ₦1 trillion Metropolitan Rail Service for Kano State says more about the politics of perpetual outrage than about the project itself. His article, heavy on rhetoric and light on evidence, exemplifies a recurring problem in public commentary: substituting investigation with assumption and analysis with sarcasm.
To declare a major infrastructure initiative “pure deception” simply because contractors are not yet mobilized or designs are not publicly circulated betrays either a shallow understanding of governance processes or a deliberate attempt to mislead the public. Rail projects particularly those involving federal collaboration do not begin with bulldozers; they begin with approvals, policy alignment, feasibility studies, and phased budgetary planning. This is not secrecy; it is standard procedure.
More troubling than the weak logic is the inflammatory language deployed. References to “gorilla and reptiles politics” may excite social media audiences, but they contribute nothing to serious public discourse. Activism loses moral authority when it relies on name-calling rather than facts. Development debates require clarity, not caricature.
Shehu also fails to acknowledge the broader national context. President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s administration has prioritized rail infrastructure as a tool for economic integration and urban mobility across Nigeria. To suggest that Kano’s inclusion in this vision is automatically fraudulent is not skepticism it is cynicism rooted in political bias.
Constructive criticism demands alternatives: timelines to monitor, documents to request, institutions to hold accountable. Shehu offers none. Instead, he presents absence of immediate visibility as proof of nonexistence, a standard that would invalidate most major public projects at conception.
Kano people deserve better than alarmist commentary. They deserve critics who interrogate policy with facts, not activists who dismiss development efforts before they are allowed to mature. Holding government accountable is noble; undermining public confidence through reckless assertions is not.
In the end, history will judge projects by delivery but it will also judge commentators by the seriousness of their contributions. Activism should illuminate the path forward, not cloud it with unnecessary venom.
Mubarak Aliyu is a member of Kano concern citizens for good governance
Mubarakaliyu83@gmail com