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Tag: Dr Abdullahi Umar Ganduje

  • Kano: Lawmaker accuses Kwankwasiyya of plotting to cause mayhem

    … It’s a lie, says Kwankwasiyya

     

    The Chief Whip of Kano state House of Assembly, Hon. Baffa Babba Danagundi Thursday in Kano raised an alarm over alleged plot by the Kwankwasiyya Group led by Senator Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso to unleash terror in Kano on Sallah day.

    Danagundi who is representing Kano Municipal, covering the Emir’s Palace, in a letter dated 13th June, 2018, signed by him, and addressed to the Inspector-General of Police, Mr. Ibrahim Idris and made available to The Nation, called on the police and other security agencies to come to the rescue of his constituency and save it on impending mayhem allegedly sponsored by the Kwankwasiyya Group.

    The letter copied to the state Governor, Dr.  Abdullahi Umar Ganduje, National Security Adviser (NSA), Babagana Monguno, the Emir of Kano, His Highness, Muhammad Sanusi 11, Speaker Kano state House of Assembly, Hon. Abdullahi Yusuf Attah and the state Director of Civil Defence, accused leaders of the Kwankwasiyya Group of sponsoring miscreants to cause breach of the peace in Kano Municipal during the Sallah celebration.

    Danagundi accused former Secretary to the State Government, Alhaji Rabiu Bichi, former Chief of Staff and Commissioner for Water Resources to ex-Governor Kwankwaso, Dr. Haruna Adamu Dangwani of hatching a new plan to destabilize Kano.

    According to Danagundi in the letter entitled ‘Notification of Illegal Activities of Kwankwasiyya People in Kano Under the Leadership of Senator Rabi’u Musa Kwankwaso,’ “I write to formally invite the kind attention of the Inspector-General of Police to recall the unfortunate incidence which occurred during the last year’s Sallah festivities at the Emir’s Palace, Kano where teeming supporters of Senator Rabi’u Musa Kwankwaso from Katsina, Jigawa, Bauchi and Kano, converged at the Emir’s Palace with the sole purpose to disturb public peace which the good people and Government of Kano enjoy.

    “The Inspector-General of Police may wish to further recall that during the said incidence in which fight broke out within themselves due to failure to settle the amount promised the hired thugs.

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    “It took the intervention of the police and men of the State Security Services to rescue the victims and restore peace, otherwise, many people could have been killed in the mayhem.

    “The said former Secretary to the State Government, Alhaji Rabi’u Sulaiman Bichi, former Principal Private Secretary, Dr. Haruna Adamu Dangwani (currently under investigation of an allegation of terrorism) and the former Commissioner for State Affairs, Comrade Aminu Abdulsalam, are believed to be hatching new plans for organizing another illegal gathering capable of causing public disturbances during the forthcoming Sallah celebrations.

    “In view of the information available to me and as the member representing Kano Municipal where the Sallah festivities take place, I find it appropriate to draw the attention of your good offices to note that anything that might occur to disrupt peaceful atmosphere of my Local Government and the state at large as a result of activities of Kwankwasiyya people, the above identified persons should be held responsible.”

    Reacting to the allegations leveled against the Kwankwasiyya Group, former Commissioner for State Affairs under the administration of Senator Rabi’u Musa Kwankwaso, Comrade Aminu Abdulsalam, debunked the allegations, describing them as false.

    According to him, “the Kwankwasiyya movement in Kano and in Nigeria at large is known to be very peaceful. Our people are very organized. In spite of extreme provocations, we remain peaceful. We have been conducting ourselves in a peaceful manner in the last three years, even under extreme provocation by the state government and the likes of Dr. Baffa Babba Danagundi.

    “Let me place it on record that we are senior citizens and responsible citizens of Kano and will never be party to anything that will trouble in the state or breakdown of law and order in the state.

    “So, we refute the allegations and we dismiss all the claims raised in the letter by Hon. Baffa Danagundi as very untrue and false.”

  • APC LG CONGRESS : Ganduje  affirms APC Waxing Stronger

     Kano State Governor, Dr Abdullahi Umar Ganduje, yesterday, expressed delight, over the peaceful and massive turnout of All Progressive Party (APC) members at the Local Government congresses,  an indication that the party is waxing stronger in the State.

    Ganduje made the assertion at  his Dawakin Tofa Local Government party secretariat, shortly after casting his vote for the election of local government executives of the party, as well as delegates for the forthcoming state congress

    “I am sure that those, who would be elected today would be competent people, with integrity and capacity to take the party to victory in all the forthcoming general elections in the state, and the country in general,”. 

    The congress was supervised by a team from the national Secretariat of the party, led by Chief John Agoda, who expressed satisfaction over the conduct of the Congress. 

    He reassured that Kano would garner 3 million votes for President Muhammadu Buhari in the forthcoming 2019 General election stressing that Nigerians were satisfied with the President’s style of leadership.

    Agoda added that, it was because of the satisfaction Nigerians derive from President Buhari’s democratic governance that more people were decamping to the party in droves, adding that: “Our dear President is doing well in both human and infrastructural development,”.

    While calling on party faithfuls to conduct themselves peacefully at the Congress, he tasked the new leadership elected to make sure that they discharge their responsibilities diligently during their four-year tenure in office.

  • I’ll turn Kano to China of Nigeria – Ganduje

    I’ll turn Kano to China of Nigeria – Ganduje

    Kano State Governor, Dr. Abdullahi Umar Ganduje has said his administration is determined to turn Kano into China of Nigeria through its policy of training youths in specialised skills.

    This was as he said that, his government was reviewing the current Nigerian education curriculum with a view to adjusting it to cater for specific areas of manpower needs in the country.

    Ganduje who stated these on Tuesday at the graduation of 150 trainees from Kano State at the Peugeot Automobile Nigeria (PAN) Learning Center in Kaduna, said the high unemployment rate in the country was because youths were not made to acquire the required skills needed.

    Speaking to the trainees who acquired special training in different aspects of Automotive Engineering, the Governor told them that, the aim of their training was not only to get them employed but, turn Kano to China of Nigeria through their productivity.

    According to him, “we are training you, not only for you to become self-employed and employers of labour. We are training you not to remain in Kano alone. We want to be like China is to the world that is what we want Kano to be to Nigeria. Chinese are all over the world, we want Kano to be all over Nigeria.

    “This is can only be possible if you have some vital skills, skills that are not common, unless you have something to sell, something to offer, irrespective of your location. Wherever you go, your skill is something you can offer to the people.

    “We want to remove ourselves from tribalism and useless sentiment. We want to build our economy, we want to build manpower. Because there are countries that don’t have a single drop of oil and yet they are one of the biggest economies in the world. How did they achieve that? It is their brain and skills.” He said.

    Ganduje said his administration is identifying the needed skills so that youths can be trained for sustainable employment and it is building a N5 billion skills acquisition center in Kano to train the youths.

    He said Kano as the most populous state in Nigeria must tap its vast human potential otherwise the human asset would become a liability. He said the current training in various forms of automobile engineering the youths from Kano are undergoing is one the ways the government is tackling the issue of unemployment in the state.

    Earlier, the Managing Director of PAN, Alhaji Ibrahim Boyi said the youth empowerment initiative of the company is an extension of what the Kano state government is doing for youths as it is providing a platform for them to be productive.

    He said it is the hope of the center that in five years from now, it would be offering degree program in auto engineering.

    President of the trainees, Mohammed Saleh, who spoke at the occasion, thanked the governor for the opportunity given him and his mates to acquire skills saying they would put them to good use to develop the state and help their people.

    He called on the governor to build a similar facility in Kano for the training of the youths so that the teeming number of youths in the state can equally benefit.

    Read Also: Ganduje Appoints Kano Emir Chair Investment Advisory Committee

  • Kano invests N2.2b UBEC funds in classrooms

    Kano State Governor, Dr Abdullahi Umar Ganduje on Tuesday laid the foundation stone for the construction of class room blocks across the 44 Local Government Area of the state which is to be financed with the N2.2 billion Kano state government/Universal Basic Education (UBE) matching grant for 2017 fiscal year.

    Ganduje, who performed the foundation laying at Darmanawa Special Primary School in Tarauni local government area, said: “Under the scheme, 61 two-storey blocks consisting six classrooms per block, including offices, would be constructed and furnished.  The project will accommodate an estimated 21, 960 pupils, as each classroom will contain 60 pupils.

    “Each block will have six classrooms. Each classroom will accommodate 60 pupils, so more opportunity will be provided for our teeming children to attend public schools enjoy our free education policy.”

    According to him, 20 out of the 60 new blocks to be constructed would be sited in Kano metropolis, while the remaining 41 would be spread across the rural areas of the state, in view of disparity in pupils’ density.

    “Presently, we have over three million children in public primary school, which is more than the population of some states. Classes, furniture and educational materials are not enough so it is our responsibility to do our best to address this challenge,” he stated.

    While revealing that arrangement was in top gear to access N2.4 billion UBE counterpart fund for the 2017 fiscal year, within the next two weeks, the governor assured that his administration would not relent in expanding access to education for all children in the state.

    He appealed to communities, wealthy individuals and corporate bodies to support the government’s stride in the education sector, by providing infrastructure and teaching/learning materials in public schools.

     

  • Buhari vows to reform, decongest Prisons

    Buhari vows to reform, decongest Prisons

    President Muhammadu Buhari on Wednesday in Kano reaffirmed that prison reforms and decongestion will be pursued with greater vigor by his administration.

    Speaking at a ceremony in Kurmawa Central Prison Kano, at which 500 inmates were either pardoned or set free upon the payment of fines by the State Governor, Dr. Abdullahi Umar Ganduje, President Buhari lamented that some of the freed inmates were young and charged prison authorities to make every effort to make better citizens of prisoners.

    President Buhari, in a statement by the Senior Special Assistant on Media and publicity, Garba Shehu, pledged that prisons reforms and decongestion would continue to receive prompt attention from his administration.

    He harped on the need for prisoners to receive proper care, support and rehabilitation to make them better citizens after serving their prisons terms.

    He said “I am pleased with this visit and I have learnt a bit more about the conditions of the prisons and inmates.

    “This building in front of us was built since 1910. Rehabilitation of prisoners and training of inmates is very important to us and we would continue to invest more on this.

    “I asked one of the inmates (released) how old he was and he told me he is only 19 years old.

    “If we have people of 18 and 19 years in the prison, and there is no continuous training, then their lives will be completely destroyed. We will invest more in education and vocational training,’’ he said.

    The 500 inmates granted pardon, including men and women, were drawn from various prisons in Kano state, including Kurmawa prisons, which has 1,398 inmates as opposed to 750, the established capacity.

    Earlier, the President who arrived Kano to a tumultuous welcome by the Government and people of the State at the start of a two-day state visit paid homage to the Emir of Kano, Muhammadu Sanusi II.

    At the Emir’s place, President Buhari recounted his fond memories of Kano, as a symbol of peace, trade, commerce and industry in Nigeria.

    ‘‘If there is a problem here, the whole country has a problem. I remember the industry and employment people get in Kano.

    ‘‘Before the problem in the North East, I remember the number of articulated vehicles that leave this city to Maiduguri and the Cameroons, and the number of vehicles that come in from Chad and Niger, providing millions of jobs to Nigerians.

    ‘‘A lot of people in Nigeria didn’t realise how much the instability in the North East have cost the people and the industry here ’’ he said.

    President Buhari, therefore, assured all Nigerians that the fight against the degraded Boko Haram will be sustained, in addition to the positive trends in the economy and the fight against corruption.

    ‘‘The three things we said in our campaign on security, economy and fighting corruption, nobody will be able to successfully disabuse the minds of Nigerians on our clear intentions for our country and our people,’’ he said.

  • Dangote donates N500 million Kano market fire victims

    Dangote donates N500 million Kano market fire victims

    Business mogul and chairman of the Appeal Fund Raising Committee for victims of fire incidents in Kano markets, Alhaji Aliko Dangote Monday in Kano presented a cheque of N500 million to the Committee as he redeemed his pledge to help alleviate the suffering of the traders.

    According to the state Governor, Dr. Abdullahi Umar Ganduje who received the cheque in Government House, the Committee has so far raised about N1.2 billion for the fire victims.

    He said the Judicial Commission of Enquiry set up to assess the cost of damages has already come up with the number of traders affected and the extent of damages they recorded.

    Ganduje assured the traders that very soon the Fund Raising Committee will commence distribution of the money to the beneficiaries.

    The Governor also informed the traders that President Muhammadu Buhari has sent a powerful delegation which has done a survey on installation of solar light in Sabon Gari market, a project he said was being carried out in conjunction with Kano state government.

    Apart from redeeming its N500 million pledge, he said the state government has commenced provision of needed infrastructure in Kano markets, including construction of access roads, fire service outstations, police stations, construction of malls to accommodate road side kiosks as well as provision of iron tables for petty traders to curb fire incidents.

    The Nation recalls that about a year ago, successive fire incidents occurred in five major markets in the ancient commercial city, including Farm Centre (GSM) market, Kurmi market, Yan Katako market, Singer Market, and Muhammad Abubakar Rimi Market otherwise known as Sabon Gari market.

    Among those who made donations for the fire victims include Kano state government, N500 million, Aliko Dangote, N500 million, Access Bank (N100 million), oil magnet, Femi Otudola (25 million), Dahiru Mangal (N25 million), Fidelity Bank (N20 million), Senate President, Bukola Saraki (N10 million), Speaker, House of Representations (N5 million), 24 House of Representatives from Kano  (N12 million), Senator Barau Jubrin (N3 million), Senator Kabiru Gaya (N3 million), Tahir Fadallah (N5 million), Ishyaku Rabiu (N5 million), Kano state House of Assembly members (N5 million), among others.

  • Ganduje spends N1billion on PHC delivery

    Ganduje spends N1billion on PHC delivery

    Kano state Governor, Dr. Abdullahi Umar Ganduje Monday said  his administration has expended over N1 billion for the procurement and distribution of drugs, medical equipment to secondary and primary health care facilities to improve their diagnostic and management capacity.

    Speaking during convention of over 3,880 Kano state Volunteer Community Mobilizers (VCMS) and distribution /launching of Anti-malarial Commodities and other Health Intervention held in Government House, Ganduje said his administration has keyed into the Federal Government agenda of revitalizing the primary health care in Nigeria.

    According to him, “Kano state government with the support of our partners has upgraded, renovated and equipped more than 120 primary health facilities across the 44 Local Government Areas of Kano state to make basic health care available to our people.

    “In our determination to further deliver on our campaign promises and to ensure that Kano people benefit maximally from the health care service delivery, the present administration has embarked on many beneficial and far-reaching health interventions ranging from infrastructure and equipment upgrade, health care financing to manpower development.”

    He mentioned some of the interventions to include, “upgrade and renovation of Murtala Mohammed Specialist Hospital in collaboration with Dangote Foundation–the work is estimated to cost billions of Naira and when completed, the hospital will be of international standard.

    “Procurement and distribution of drugs, medical equipment worth over N1 billion, secondary and primary health care facilities to improve the diagnostic and management capacity; establishment of state Contributory Health care Management Agency; and signing into law of the Health Trust Fund and also signing into law the Private Health Institution Management Law which will govern private hospitals.”

    Ganduje recalled before his administration, the state government was faced with a number of challenges in the health sector, such as high incidence of Malaria and other communicable diseases; high prevalence of malnutrition among children under five years.

    He further mentioned other challenges to include dilapidated health infrastructure, especially, at the primary health care level; inadequate qualitative        specialized health care; human resource gaps at secondary and primary health care levels and lack of sustainability in health care financing.

    He added that, “to tackle this and many more of health system challenges, the state government has been expending colossal resources both human and material to revamp the health system.

    “It is on record that between January to August, 2017 alone, Kano state government and its partners has spent over N700 million on the procurement and distribution of drugs, insecticides, treated bed nets, Rapid Diagnostic Test (RDT) for malaria, among other things for the prevention and control of malaria in Kano state.

    “It is also worthy to note that this administration within this year alone spent over N300 million as a matching grant with UNICEF for the procurement of ready-to-use therapeutic food items and highly nutritious food for the treatment of severely malnourished children in Kano state.”

    Emir of Kano, Muhammad Sanusi 11 who was given a merit award of excellence for his effort in eradicating polio in Kano, commended Governor Ganduje for his huge investment in the health sector.

    The Royal Father called for more enlightenment on immunization of polio and other communicable diseases and urged Kano residence to apply personal hygiene.

    Also speaking during the event, Chief of Field Office, UNICEF Katsina and Kano, Mrs. Padmavathi Yadla, said Kano recorded 39 month free polio status and urged the state government and other partners to strengthen the routine immunization.

    Read Also: Ganduje sues for peace, understanding among Nigerians

  • Ganduje calls on FG to probe S/East incidence

    Ganduje calls on FG to probe S/East incidence

    Kano State Governor, Dr Abdullahi Umar Ganduje, yesterday in Kano called on the Federal Government to urgently investigate the unfortunate incident, which occurred in the South Eastern part of the country.

    Ganduje, while receiving the leadership of Coalition of Northern Groups (CNG) at Government House, led by Chairman of the Group, Nasdura Sharif Ashir, urged the Federal Government to also punish those, who are found wanting disturbing event.

    Similarly, Governor Ganduje expressed satisfaction that the situation has been brought under control by security agents in the troubled areas in the South East.

    Also, he maintained that if such punishment were not meted to the perpetrators, it would continue to happen, which will not be good for the country.

    According to him, I believe that two wrongs cannot make a right, so, all we need is peaceful coexistence that will lead to rapid development of the country.

    He also hailed the efforts of the Group in their efforts to douse the tension that have already been generated.

    ”I consider that the incident is very unfortunate and I commend your efforts to douse down tension, which I describe as patriotic.

    ”I am not surprised of these efforts because you have been and still demonstrating that your Group believe in one Nigeria and also your disposition in the belief of President Muhammadu Buhari’s ability in stabilizing the nation.

    Earlier, leader of the Group, said their mission to the Government House is to sensitize Northerners against being provoked to reprisals, following the unfortunate Port Harcourt incident.

  • Ganduje seeks access to idle UBEC funds

    Ganduje seeks access to idle UBEC funds

    Kano State Governor, Dr Abdullahi Umar Ganduje, has appealed to the Federal Government to allow the state access Universal Basic Education (UBEC) funds of those states that have failed to access their share.

    He said Kano had been up to date in accessing its UBEC funds for numerous projects, but needed more in view of its enormous challenges in the sector to meet the needs of its teeming pupils.

    Unlike others states that were years behind, Ganduje said Kano had accessed UBEC funds up till 2016 and would soon provide matching grant for 2017.

    “At the moment, we have about three million children in school and about the same number out of school. So, obtaining the funds will help us revitalise the basic education sector, especially in view of the prevailing challenges facing us”, the governor said.

    The governor, who said this while receiving members of the House of Representatives Committee on Basic Education led by Dr Istifanus Dung Gyang at the Government House, said Kano being the most populous state in the country required more money to provide infrastructure, teaching aids and personnel in the basic education sub sector.

    He said that Kano was grappling with the challenge of millions of out- of-school children, pointing out however, that recent figures available to the government, have shown that two thirds of them are from neighbouring states and even some West African countries, brought to Kano for Qur’anic education.

    Ganduje told the visiting committee members that his administration had deployed enormous resources to boost the capacity of teachers, saying nearly 30, 000 primary teachers have so far been sponsored by the government for professional programmes in several tertiary institutions in Kano and Kaduna state.

    In his remarks, the leader of the team, Gyang acknowledged the state’s infrastructural deficit in the basic education sub-sector, stressing the need for increased budgetary intervention in the sector.

    He however, commended the state for accessing its UBEC grant up till 2016, urging it to make judicious use of the funds for the good of its citizens

     

  • Quit Notice: Igbos must remain in the north – Ganduje

    Quit Notice: Igbos must remain in the north – Ganduje

    Kano state Governor, Dr. Abdullahi Umar Ganduje Saturday affirmed that not even the Igbos or any other ethnic nationality resident in Kano will leave the state as a result of the recent quit notice order by Arewa Youths.

    The Governor who stated this during a meeting with the Igbo Delegates Assembly (IDA)  and Igbo Traditional rulers in the 19 northern states, led by IDA President- General, Chief Chi Nwogu, at the Government House in Kano.

    He added that as leaders in Northern Nigeria, all governors in the region are solidly against ethnic prejudice, as promoted by certain group of youth, declaring categorically that Igbos in the region will stay forever.

    According to him, “even if you want to go on your own, we will not allow you to leave. There is a difference between I will not go and there is no where I can go. You don’t have anywhere to go, this place is your home.”

    According to him, even foreigners are residing comfortably in Kano and other parts of Northern Nigeria and are engaged in legitimate ventures, adding that there is no basis to threaten other Nigerians, who collectively fought for the nation’s independence.

    “Those advocating ethnic agitation from the East are not speaking for all Igbos. Those of us, who as youth witnessed the Civil war, will never advocate secession,” he stated.

    Governor Ganduje said the Northern youth who issued quit notice to Igbos in the region have also been called to order by elders, civic and political leaders, including governors and the Sultan of Sokoto, because all well-meaning people believe in one Nigeria.

    “When you have youths who have no elders, they are similar to riding a horse without a bridle. It can behave anyhow and anything can happening. This is what is happening,” he maintained.

    He, therefore, described the meeting reconciliatory between the IDA leadership and Coalition of Northern youths as timely, asserting that all ethnic groups in the country have advantages which if collectively harnessed would make the country greater.

    “What is happening in Sudan is a lesson for all of us. The breakup of that country has not taken them anywhere. We cannot afford to make that class of mistake,” he said.

    In his remarks, the President- General, Igbo Delegates Assembly, Chief Chi Nwogu, said there were in Kano to meet the Coalition of Northern Youth Groups, in respect of the quit notice issued Igbos in the North by the youths.

    “Both of us have agreed to set up a committee to sort out things and ensure that there is peace”, he stressed.

    Meanwhile, Governor Ganduje also met with members of the Coalition of Northern Youth Groups, where he expressed happiness that they have listened to the voices of elders and accepted to stride the path of peace.