The Nation Newspaper

Tag: kano state

  • Kano pays N1bn counterpart funding for basic education scheme

    Gov. Abdullahi Ganduje of Kano state said that his administration had paid N1 billion as counterpart funding for the basic education scheme.

    Ganduje made this known on Thursday in Kano, shortly after the inauguration of 2,000 classrooms in selected primary schools in the metropolis.

    “We have paid N1 billion to the Federal Government as our counterpart funding for basic education,’’ he said.

    The inauguration of the classrooms and the governor’s visit to some schools were parts of the week-long activities organised by the Ministry of Education to mark the state’s Basic Education Week.

    According to him, the Federal Government will also contribute the same amount to the state for the implementation of the basic education scheme.

    The governor also said the fund was meant to construct additional classrooms in all primary and Junior Secondary Schools, (JSS), provide furniture among other necessary facilities to enhance teaching and learning.

    He said the state would soon launch its Education Trust Fund as part of measures to ensure effective community participation in the development of education.

    “If you have a large population, you will have problem in education as government cannot do it alone. So, community participation in education is necessary.

    “As you know, not many people are interested in investing in education. Sometimes, you become confused as to where you start, hence our decision to give priority to basic education.”

    The governor said the state would also invite experts from the organised private sector and some Non-governmental organizations (NGOs) to contribute their quota toward promoting education.

    He said the state would continue to give priority to the welfare of teachers and ensure that only qualified ones were allowed in the system.

    “We are not looking for everybody to teach. So, we will make sure that we sanitise the system by making sure that only qualified ones teach in our schools.’’

    Ganduje said it was in line to improve the education system in the state that, the state government set up Education Promotion Committee in each local government to ensure quality education.

    No fewer than 2,000 classrooms were inaugurated during the governor’s visit to the selected primary schools in the metropolis.

     

  • Kano Traffic Agency begins mass traffic control

    The Kano State Road and Traffic Agency (KAROTA), says its marshals would commence mass traffic control  in Kano to ease crippling traffic congestion in the city.

    Ismaila Maizare, the Chairman of KAROTA, a state-government sponsored traffic volunteer force, told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Kano on Wednesday that the operation will cover the whole city.

    According to him, the operation would ease traffic congestion, reduce accidents and educate motorists and other road users on traffic rules.

    The chairman appreciated the support of the police and other stakeholders to the activities of the agency, which had helped in the control of traffic and making the roads safer.

    He described the KAROTA marshals as a body of volunteers under Law No. 2012 of the Kano State Road and Traffic Agency.

  • CAN begins week-long prayers for peace

    CAN begins week-long prayers for peace

    The Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), Kano State Chapter, has commenced a week-long prayer session for the sustenance of peace in the state, in particular and the country, at large.

    A statement by the state CAN Chairman, Bishop Ransom Bello, in Kano on Thursday said the prayers would also seek for divine intervention in the current economic recession in the country.

    “The title of this year’s version of the Annual Prayer is titled: ‘Super Natural Shift’.

    “Kano, in recent times, has enjoyed peace. The programme will devote part of the sessions to seeking spiritual guidance for those shouldering the mandate to administer the state,’’ the statement said.

    “Christians resident in the state appreciate the efforts of Gov. Abdullahi Ganduje in ensuring that peace prevails in the state.

    “We need peace in Kano; we have succeeded in having peace, we pray for it to continue, and extend to all parts of the country,” Bello said.

    According to the statement, the 2017 prayer week will pray fervently for divine intervention in the economy, lamenting that Nigerians were undergoing intense economic pains.

    “The way things are going is not the best; we need some divine intervention in the socio-economic challenges facing the country,’’ it added.

  • Dangote to resume tomato production in February

    Dangote to resume tomato production in February

    The Dangote Tomato Processing Factory in Kadawa, Kura Local Government Area of Kano State is to resume production in February.

    The company, which began production in Feb. 2016, had to suspend operation due to lack of enough raw materials.

    The Managing Director of the company, Alh. Abdulkadir Kaita disclosed this in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Tuesday in Kano.

    He added that preparation for production to resume was at an advanced stage.

    Kaita said that the company had to suspend production when most of the tomato farms in about five states were affected by a pest, which destroyed all the tomato species.

    “We expect that tomato farmers would have produced enough for the company to process, hence our decision to resume production in February,’’ he said.

    According to him, many tomato farmers at the Kadawa, Kura, Garun-Malam and Hadeja-Jama’are irrigation sites are expected to produce enough for the company to process.

    “We deliberately decided to resume production in February because we don’t want to create a scarcity of the commodity.

    “We want to make sure that there is enough to process so that its price will not go up,” Kaita said.

    He said that the company which had the capacity to process 40 trucks or 1,200 tonnes of fresh tomatoes per day, would soon begin recruitment of additional staff.

    “All our trained staff are still with us and we are paying them salary but if there is the need to recruit additional staff, we will do so to ensure effective service delivery,’’ he said.

    NAN recalls that a pest popularly known as “Tuta Absoluta’’ destroyed tomato farms in Kano, Jigawa, Plateau, Katsina and Kaduna states.

  • Kano pilgrims board begins preparation for 2017 Hajj

    Kano pilgrims board begins preparation for 2017 Hajj

    The Kano State Government has directed the Pilgrims Welfare Board to commence preparations for the 2017 Hajj operation.

    The Acting Governor, Prof. Hafiz Abubakar, gave the directive in a statement issued by Alhaji Balarabe Abdullahi, the Public Relations Officer of the Deputy Governor’s Office, in Kano on Friday.

    Abubakar,  who is also the Chairman of the committee on Hajj, made this known when he received the report on the 2016 Hajj activities.

    He said the administration of Dr Abdullahi Ganduje was committed toward giving all the necessary support and cooperation to the board to ensure better results of the subsequent  Hajj operations.

    “Despite the current economic situation and considering the tedious nature of this work and its challenges, the government will continue to do every thing possible to improve the Hajj operations,” he said.

    He said the state government would try to complete the board’s additional offices and recruit more tutors to enlighten intending pilgrims on Hajj operations.

    Abubakar urged leaders and all the stakeholders to contribute their quota toward the forthcoming Hajj activities.

    Earlier, the Executive Secretary Kano State Pilgrims Welfare Board, Malam Abba Yakubu, said that the board collected N789 million for the 2016 Hajj activities.

    He said that the state government also gave N367 million as phase I assistance to the board to secure good accommodation for the state pilgrims.

    Yakubu said that the board refunded N30 million to the pilgrims who for one reason or the other were not able to perform the 2016 hajj operation.

    He, however, announced that only four pilgrims from the state lost their lives during the last Hajj operation.

  • Shekarau sympathizes with victims of Gombe market fire

    Shekarau sympathizes with victims of Gombe market fire

    Former Governor of Kano State, Malam Ibrahim Shekarau has expressed his heartfelt sympathy with the government and people of Gombe State over the inferno that destroyed the Gombe old Market.

    Shekarau said this when briefing newsmen at the end of the Islamic Vocational Course in Gombe on Wednesday.

    The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the incident occurred on Tuesday night where 48 shops and properties worth millions of Naira were burnt to ashes.

    Shekarau said that he received the news with shock and prayed for God to restore what the victims had lost.

    He called on the victims to take it as an act of God and advised them to trace the genesis of the incident.

    According to him, knowing the course of the incident will help them to guard against future disaster.

  • Kano approves N200m to farmers for tomato seedlings

    Kano approves N200m to farmers for tomato seedlings

    Kano state government has approved N200 million for tomato farmers to purchase seedlings to contain the tomato virus ‘tuta absoluta’ that ravaged tomato farmers in the state in 2015.

    The state Commissioner for Information, Malam Muhammad Garba stated this while briefing newsmen on the outcome of the weekly State Executive Council Meeting on Saturday.

    Garba said the council had also approved over N45 million for community-based projects in Tarauni, Fagge, Gwale, Ungogo and Nassarawa local government areas of the state.

    He said the council had approved another N24 million for the payment of compensation to those affected by the construction of Kwanar Dawanau-Dandinshe Road in Kano metropolis.

    The commissioner said that the council had approved for the release of another N25 million for the construction of drainages at Magashi Quarters in Kano metropolis.

    “Similarly, approval was also given for the sum of N331 million for a general renovation of NYSC orientation camp at Kusalla dam in Karaye local government area of the state,” Garba said.

    He said the council approved the release of over N1 billion as counterpart funds to the Universal Basic Education Board in addition to N24 million for erosion control at Uran village in Bebeji local government area.

    The commissioner said the council approved N1.7 million for the purchase of a house for the families of the deceased Imam of Kano Government House, Malam Shuaibu Muhammad.

    Garba said another N500,000 was approved as support to the family of late Buba Yusuf, a driver with the Government House.

    He said the council approved N4 million for the purchase of equipment at Gyadi-gyadi Vocational Training Centre, Kano.

  • Bird flu resurfaces in Kano

    Bird flu resurfaces in Kano

    Kano State Government on Wednesday announced the re-emergence of bird flu in the state.

    The Director Veterinary Services, Ministry of Agriculture and Natural Resources, Dr. Shehu Bawa, disclosed this to journalists in Kano.

    Bawa said the outbreak was recorded in one of the poultry farms in the state.

    He said the affected farm had been depopulated while stringent measures were taken to prevent the spread of the disease.

    “The state government has taken proactive measures to contain the spread of the disease to other farms within the state,” the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) quoted Bawa as saying to journalists.

    He said part of the measures taken to check the spread of the disease include disinfection of the affected farm and routine surveillance of other farms.

    Bawa called on farmers to immediately report to the appropriate authority outbreak of the disease in their respective farms to enable the government to take prompt action.

    “I am using this opportunity to advise farmers to immediately report any outbreak of the disease to enable the government to take prompt response.”

    On an inadequate number of veterinarians, the director urged the government to employ more for effective supervision of abattoirs in the state.

    He said most of the abattoirs lacked veterinarians to inspect animals before being slaughtered.

    “With the exception of the two abattoirs at Kofar Mazugal and Bachirawa, others have no meat Inspectors.

    “So, there is the need to have veterinarians to supervise abattoirs in each of the 44 Local Government Areas of the state,” he said.

  • Kano completes 90 percent digitalising of Radio,TV stations–Ganduje

    Kano completes 90 percent digitalising of Radio,TV stations–Ganduje

    Gov. Abdullahi Ganduje of Kano state has said due to the importance of the broadcast industry, the state government has completed over 90 per cent of digitalizing of the state radio and television stations.

    The governor made the statement on Thursday in Kano while declaring open the fifth national delegates conference of Radio, Television, Theatre and Arts Workers Union of Nigeria (RATTAWU).

    Ganduje, who was represented by his deputy, Prof. Hafiz Abubakar, described the broadcast industry as “one of the backbones’’ of the Journalism profession in Nigeria.

    He said that the industry should be given more consideration, adding that his administration had invested much in the broadcast industry in the state.

    He called on members of RATTAWU to deliberate on avenues of promoting the industry during the conference.

    Responding to a request by Mr Yemisi Bamgbose, the outgoing President of RATTAWU for a piece of land to establish a broadcast institute in the state, Ganduje said he would consider the request.

    Earlier in his address, Bamgbose commended members of the union for their support and cooperation during his tenure.

    He said that the success recorded during his tenure would not have been achieved without the `tireless efforts and determination’ of members of the union.

    “Such achievements include the procurement of a permanent secretariat for the union and the unionisation of many private media workers,” he said.

    Bamgbose called on the incoming leaders of the union to work harmoniously with every member of RATTAWU to ensure more success for the union.

    He called on owners of private media organisations to give the union necessary support, especially on the issue of unionisation of their workers.

    He said that if the workers in private media outfits were  allowed to form a union, it would motivate them to work hard for the progress of their organisation.

  • Buhari orders probe of death of NYSC member

    Buhari orders probe of death of NYSC member

    …Condoles families of dead NYSC members

    President Muhammadu Buhari on Wednesday ordered independent investigation of the death of National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) member, Miss Ifedolapo Oladepo in Kano State.

    According to a statement by the Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Femi Adesina, the President’s fresh probe is to unravel the true circumstances surrounding her death.

    The President also commiserated with the families of three NYSC members who lost their lives recently during the 2016 Batch ‘B’ Orientation Programme in three States of the Federation, including Ifedolapo.

    He described the demise of the young Nigerians as “shocking, sad and unfortunate,” noting that they died in the course of answering the national call to serve.

    He urged the families, friends and associates of the deceased to be consoled by the knowledge that their loved ones paid the supreme price while on national service and not for ignoble reasons.

    President Buhari also extended condolences to the Director-General and Management of the NYSC over the transition of the youth corps members, Chinyerum Nwenenda Elechi, Ifedolapo Oladepo and Monday Asuquo Ukeme, in Bayelsa, Kano and Zamfara States respectively.

    While enjoining the Management to do all within its powers to protect the lives of those under its charge, the President called on parents and guardians of current and potential NYSC participants not to panic over the recent tragic deaths.

    He prayed that God will grant the souls of the departed youths eternal rest.