The Nation Newspaper

Tag: Kano State Government

  • Kano spends N1.1bn to support rice, wheat farmers

    The Kano State Government said it had supported rice and wheat farmers with N1.1 billion loan, as part of efforts to boost production of the two commodities in the state.

    The state’s Commissioner for Agriculture and Natural Resources, Dr Nasiru Gawuna, disclosed this in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Kano.

    He said out of the total loan package, the state government had approved N1 billion for the rice farmers, while the remaining balance of N100 million was disbursed to wheat farmers.

    Gawuna said the loan would enable farmers of the two crops to access quality seeds and other required farm inputs for enhanced productivity.

    He said the loan was part of the state government’s effort to support farmers in line with the Federal Government’s commitment to boost their production.

    “As you are aware that the State and Federal Governments have decided to focus on agriculture in view of the sudden fall in the price of oil across the globe,” he said.

    The commissioner expressed hope that beneficiaries of the loan facility would make the best use of the opportunity to boost food production in the state.

    According to him, the state government is also planning to reintroduce marketing board for wheat and rice producers in the state.

    He said the state government would partner with the Nigeria Commodity and Exchange Commission to provide warehouse for the commodities.

    Also speaking, the state Chairman of Wheat Farmers Association of Nigeria (WFAN), Alhaji Faruk Rabiu, said the association had recently procured wheat cleaning machine.

    He said the machine was procured from the N18.2 million loan the association secured from the Union Bank of Nigeria plc.

    He said that the machine would give farmers the opportunity to bring their wheat after harvest for cleaning, grading and sorting out.

    “We procured the machine to enable our members to process the commodity after harvest to the taste of the companies that promised to purchase it from us,” he added.

  • Bigots at work

    Bigots at work

    We demand justice for a 74-year-old woman lynched for her faith

    All eyes are on the country’s security agencies and the Kano State government to see how they will deal with those who killed a 74-year-old woman for allegedly blaspheming Islam. According to reports, the woman, Bridget Agba­hime, said to be a leader in Deeper Life Bible Church, Kano State, was in her shop with her husband at Kofar Wambai (plastic market), Kano, at about 3.00. p.m. on June 2 when a man came to the front of the shop to perform ablution. The woman reportedly told him not to do that in front of her shop and an argument ensued. The man then went about alerting other Muslims in the market that the old woman had blasphemed Allah. A family member of the deceased painted a gory picture of the unfortunate incident on Linda Ikeji’s Blog (LIB):

    “Mummy Bridget is 74years old. She was seated at her shop at kofar wambai which is a market for plastic as at 3-4pm or thereabout only for a Muslim guy to come in front of mummy’s shop towards closing time to perform ablution (washing of their feet before their prayers). Mummy then told him not to do that in front of her shop, instantly (he) the guy started arguing with her, saying she has insulted Allah for preventing him from performing his ablution. He then went to alert his fellow Muslim brothers.

    Her husband (daddy) was with her as at that time. They took her to report the issue to a head in the market. …Which was too late because an angry Muslim mob was already forming, chanting Allahu Akbar (Allah is the greatest) and that she must be killed for blasphemy. Preventing the young man from performing his ablution was what they termed blasphemy.

    “Immediately daddy saw it had generated into a mini riot; one of their Alhaji’s drew mummy into his office, addressing the crowd that they should calm down and protocols will be followed, which they refused and were stoning things at the man in his office.

    “When they prevailed, they dragged her and her husband. When daddy was sitting down, he was looking at the way they were hitting mummy on her head with iron rods and sticks but he dared not say anything, if not he will be lynched too. Mummy’s blood was splashing on daddy’s body as they kept hitting her. Eventually she died”.

    This looks like a scene from a Hollywood movie? You are wrong; it actually happened in 21st century Nigeria, and in broad daylight. It is depressing and unacceptable.

    If media accounts of the incident are true, that is if the man in question actually went to the front of the woman’s shop to perform ablution, then that was sheer provocation and the attack and subsequent lynching of the woman could be regarded as premeditated murder. They could have killed the husband too if he dared to save his wife from the mob. But what could an old man do than watch the gruesome murder of his wife, even with her blood splashing on his cloth while they were hitting her with all manner of weapons?

    What could have made some people go this far to kill an old woman in such a gruesome manner? How could people with blood flowing in their veins mete such inhuman treatment to a couple who were probably trying to manage the rest of their lives in a plastic market?

    Even as the dust was yet to settle on this sordid incident, another ugly replica occurred in Kaduna where a carpenter was attacked by some Muslim youths for eating during Ramadan. The man, Mr Francis Emmanuel Francis, was attacked on June 7 in his shop by the youths at about 2.30 PM, when Muslims were still expected to be fasting. According to reports, they asked him if he was a Muslim or a Christian. Probably sensing what their reaction could have been if he answered that he was a Christian, he did not answer the question. But when asked why he was not fasting and he told them he was not a Muslim, they descended on him with knives, cutlasses and scissors. He was subsequently rushed to the hospital.

    Clearly, these are the kinds of barbaric acts that give Islam a bad name. It is consoling that several prominent Muslim and Islamic bodies and personalities have condemned the woman’s killing. It is not unlikely that a similar outpouring of rage would be made concerning the attack on the carpenter. But, beyond these is the need for the perpetrators of these ungodly and inhuman acts to be arrested and prosecuted for the crimes they committed. Those who killed the old woman must be arraigned for alleged murder and the carpenter’s attackers should be docked for alleged assault and battery. It is only by letting such criminals pay for their actions that the necessary lesson would have been taught and learnt. We should be sick and tired of this lawlessness in the country.

    Nigeria is a secular country and everyone should be able to practice his or her faith without let or hindrance. A situation where some hoodlums would just take laws into their hands is intolerable and should be condemned in the strongest terms by all well-meaning Nigerians.

  • Sabon Gari market: Dangote heads fund raising panel

    Sabon Gari market: Dangote heads fund raising panel

    President of Dangote Group of Companies, Alhaji Aliko Dangote on Monday in Kano, assured Governor Abduallahi Umar Ganduje to go all out to meet those that matter to raise funds for  victims, whose goods was recently consumed by fire outbreak at the Abubakar Rimi market, so as to cushion the pains of the fire disaster.

    The business mogul, who is the Chairman of a Committee, just inaugurated by the Kano State Government to raise funds for victims of the Abubakar Rimi market, alongside four other different markets spread across the state, whose goods and property were also destroyed, promised that the committee will endeavor to complete its task within the six weeks stipulated time frame for members of the committee to complete its assignment

    His words: “We will first of plan before we start holding meetings because the most difficult aspect is  to plan how to raise money, as well as how to coordinate all our activities, which I believe will end within the next one week.’’

    In view of its enormous task, Dangote requested all members of the committee to readily make available all their direct mobile phone numbers, so as to be summoned for meetings as soon as possible.

    According to him, in the process of carrying out their mandate, they will also need the assistance of the governor in contacting his counterparts for assistance for a helping hand, just as he pointed out that Governor left out the National Assembly in his determined efforts to raise funds for the fire victims.

    However, the Chairman assured Ganduje that they will not disappoint him, noting that members of the committee are people of dignity and repute, just as he also prayed to Almighty Allah to prevent incessant fire disasters in Kano.

    Also, he promised that the report of the committee will be submitted within six weeks, so as to quickly embark on raising funds, adding that while compiling the report, they will fix a date for the fund raising, whether in Kano or in Abuja, but most importantly it’s better to hold the fund raising in Kano.

    Apart from that, Dangote pointed out that the committee members must unanimously agree on where to open a bank account, where the funds raised would be deposited.

    Earlier in his address, Governor Ganduje disclosed to members of the committee of the efforts the state Government is making toward resettling the displaced traders from the market.

    Also, he disclosed that as a matter of priority, the State Government constituted a Judicial Commission of Enquiry under Justice Wada Umar Rano to identify the actual cause of the fire, as well as to advice government on the necessary action to adopt.

    The essence of the fund raising committee, according to the governor is mainly to assist and raise funds to help the victims, adding that 7,000 stalls have been identified to have been razed by the fire.

    To this end, the State Government has also decided to underwrite at a cost of  reconstructing the stalls as a cost of N10,000 per shop, bringing the total amount to N70 million, so as to promptly resettle the traders.

    All the traders, the governor said will be given one year grace period, at the end of which they will start paying the owners of the shop.

  • Kano offers free surgery for 6, 000 patients, says commissioner

    THE Kano State Government says it is offering free medical surgeries to 6,000 patients in the state.

    Dr. Abubakar Labaran, the Commissioner for Health, on an inspection tour of facilities at Sheikh Jidda General Hospital in Fagge area of Kano metropolis, where the surgeries would be conducted said the programme was being put together under the Kwankwasiyya Medical Mission.

    Different surgical ailments are expected to be handled during the exercise, he said, saying that the two week exercise would be conducted and supervised by the Ministry of Health.

    The commissioner said that the programme was part of the effort to assist the less-privileged persons suffering from Hernia, Hydrocile, Fibroid, Lipoma, among other ailments.

    Labaran expressed satisfaction at the level of preparations by the medical team for the exercise and urged people in the state to take advantage of the opportunity

    He said that the screening of patients for the surgeries had already commenced.

  • Kano sensitises women on N1b loan

    Kano sensitises women on N1b loan

    The Kano State government in collaboration with the Bank of Industry has held a sensitisation workshop for hundreds of women on a N2 billion loan as part of its jobs plans for women and youths in the state.

    The Special Adviser to Governor Kwankwaso on Entrepreneurship Development, Muhammad Jamu, who spoke at the event, said though the initiative was not specifically designed for women, they are expected to benefit from 60 per cent of the funds.

    “During the first workshop, about 700 men turned out with only 21 women in attendance. So we decided to hold another workshop only for the womenfolk so that we can give them an opportunity to participate,” he said.

    “If the women come out to participate and meet the criteria for obtaining the loans, they will get 60 per cent of the funds. Based on the business plans, some will get N10 million, some will get N1 million, N2 million or N5 million. But we cannot say how many people will benefit from the funds; we expect a large number of business to grow and develop,” he added.

    Jamu said more than 400 businesses and cooperative societies have already met the criteria and that more applications are expected to be presented, adding that the disbursement of the funds would begin between November and December this year.

    He said the state government contributed N1 billion while the Bank of Industry provided the other N1 billion and that the interest rate is about 5 to 6 per cent because the government said it does not want its own interest.

    In his remarks, the state Deputy Governor, Dr. Abdullahi Umar Ganduje commended the women for participating in all the government’s empowerment programmes and encouraged them to utilise the funds efficiently in order to achieve self-reliance.

    The Deputy Governor of Kano State, Dr. Abdullahi Umar Ganduje expressed delight over the massive turnout of women to the sensitisation programme, saying that women, if empowered, will will engender peace and progress in the country.

    Ganduje, who represented Kwankwaso, said that his administration has rolled out numerous empowerment programmes from which thousands of women have benefitted.

  • Kano spends N400m on adult literacy campaign

    Kano spends N400m on adult literacy campaign

    The Kano State Government has said it has spent N400 million on adult literacy campaign in the state.

    Also, the government said it recorded a two per cent growth within six months in its adult literacy campaign, with the theme: Literacy for the 21st Century.

    Addressing reporters in Kano, the Head of Adults for Mass Literacy Centre, Prof Fatima Umar, said the centre impacted on the writing skills and education among the illiterate groups in Kano.

    Prof Umar hailed Governor Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso for making the project a reality and funding it with N400 million.

    The academic announced that the state would host this year’s Adult Literacy Day celebration.

    Prof Umar explained that the mission of the centre, among others, was to enlighten the citizens.

    She said it had established 48 centres to meet the educational needs of women in purdah.

    The agency chief said the centre was affiliated to some Colleges of Education in and around Kano State.

    She said this would enable it to impart knowledge and empower illiterate women, men, youths and children.