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Tag: kano state

  • Kano records 567 malaria-related deaths in 2018

    Kano state Commissioner of Health, Dr. Kabiru Ibrahim Getso has said that over 567 people died of diseases attributed to malaria in 2018

    Getso who spoke during a press briefing to mark the 2019 African Vaccination Week and World Malaria Day, also stated that the  Kano state government had spent over N500 million to combat and eliminate malaria in the state within the last two years.

    According to him, the money was spent through the distribution of free anti-malaria drugs to various health facilities across the state.

    He said, “94 per cent of confirmed uncomplicated malaria cases recorded in 2018 was treated with about 567 deaths attributed to the disease. In economic terms, malaria morbidity and mortality led to loss of billions of Naira in cost of drugs, hospital stay, man-hour loss, and other out-of-the-pocket expenses.”

    Read also: Foam company joins fight against Malaria, launches mosquito repellent

    “In Kano state, malaria is the single most common reason for outpatient consultations and visitation. It is estimated that in 2018, there were more than 1.3 million hospital visits (34.4 percent of OPD attendance) and one percent of the total public hospitals and admissions, as well as 54 percent of the referrals through the newly designed two-way hospital referrals system, were due to the menace of malaria.”

    He also said the Dr. Abdullahi Umar Ganduje’s administration has also provided malaria diagnostic kits, free malaria prevention drugs to women, as well as distribution of free long-lasting insecticide-treated nets in all the 44 Local Government Areas.

    “Malaria can be easily prevented by limiting ones exposure to mosquitoes and mosquito bites, pointing out that the prime point of attack by mosquitoes is at night when people are asleep.”

  • Ganduje acquires 100 buses to roll out BRT system In Kano

    Kano state government has concluded arrangement for a multi-billion naira Bus Rapid Transit, BRT, in Kano metropolis, in an effort to ensure urban regeneration and sustainable transportation.

    The initiative, which is the first of its kind in the state, is a “tip of the iceberg infrastructural project” as the Ganduje administration commences its second term in office on May 29.

    BRT is a high quality bus – based public transport system designed to deliver fast, comfortable and cost effective services at metro – level capacities. It does this through the provision of exclusive lanes with busways and distinctive stations typically aligned to the center of the road, off – board fare collection and fast, regular operations.

    Already, the Kano state government, Kano Metropolitan Transport Company, Zhengzhou Yutong Bus Company, China and Zhengzhou Public Bus Communication Co. Ltd., China have signed an MOU for the supply of 100 buses for the project.

    The MOU further entails  integrated transport solutions that includes routes network and infrastructure planning, suitable bus models, Intelligent Transport System, ITS, modern  management of operation and maintenance of the fleet data analysis systems, regulation improvement and local talent improvement.

    Speaking shortly after conclusion of discussion and signing of the MOU, in Zhengzhou, Henan, China, the state governor, Dr. Abdullahi Umar Ganduje disclosed that his administration decided to embark on the project “to revolutionize transport and enhance ease of doing business in Nigeria’s foremost commercial center”.

    Read Also: Kano can pay N30,000 minimum wage -Ganduje

    “Presently, Kano is the most populous state in the country. It has a population of over 16 million people. The main public vehicles are mini buses and tricycles which are not supportive of long – term mega city development, therefore an efficient modern system of public transportation must be established. This will reflect the position of Kano as a truly megacity”.

    Represented by the State commissioner for Works, Housing and Transport, Engr. Aminu Aliyu Wudil, the governor explained that the project has several benefits in terms of job creation, urban mobility and air pollution reduction besides improving the physical outlook of the state capital.

    “We decided to partner with Zhengzhou Yutong because it is the world’s largest and reputed bus manufacturer with capacity providing Integrated Solution of Public bus transport system and several decades of experience”.

    “Kano state government is expected to invest not more than 25 percent of the project cost while the operator, Kano Metropolitan Transport Company is the main shareholder while the Chinese company will serve as the technical partner”.

    The State Commissioner of Work, Engr. Aminu Aliyu Wudil hi counterpart of the Ministry of Finance, Aminu Mukhtar DanAmu and Yusuf Aliyu Umar signed for Kano state government and Kano Metropolitan Transport Company, while Mr. Zou Meikan and Guo Yuanyuan signed on belalf of Zhengzhou Yutong Bus Company, China and Zhengzhou Public Bus Communication Co. Ltd., China respectively.

     

  • Kano can pay N30,000 minimum wage -Ganduje

    The Government of Kano State has agreed to pay the new minimum wage of N30,000, with additional N600.

    President Muhammadu Buhari recently signed the N30,000 minimum wage package for Nigerian workers.

    Governor Abdullahi Umar Ganduje restated its commitment to pay the new salary package to NLC members in the state.

    He said his administration has given priority to the welfare of civil servants in the state, a reason is among the state that has no monthly salary problems.

    Read also: Minimum wage: We’ll not accept anything below N30,000, Labour tells governors

    According to him, “we are ready to pay N30,000 monthly salary, because the welfare of our workers is paramount to anything and we will always give it .we will pay the N30,000.

    The NLC. chairman in the state, Kabiru minjibir hailed the Governor for his commitment to pay the minimum wage of N30,000.

    “We are not surprised by these kind gesture taking into consideration your labour friendly disposition.

  • 10-year-old boy drowns in Kano

    A ten year-old boy, Shuaibu Musa, has drowned while bathing in a pond called “Ramin Tasiu” at Sheika Road in Kumbotso Local Government Area of Kano State.

    The spokesman of the Kano State Fire Service, Mr Saidu Mohammed, told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Wednesday in Kano that the incident happened on Tuesday afternoon when the deceased went to take his bath.

    “We received a distress call from one Malam Abdullahi Naguru at about 03:15p.m. that Musa’s body was found floating in the water.

    Read Also: Train crushes two to death in Kano

    “On receiving the information, we quickly sent our rescue team to the scene at about 03:30p.m.

    “Musa was found dead and his corpse was handed over to his father, Alhaji Musa Ya’u,’’ he said.

    Mohammed advised the general public especially parents and ward heads to stop children from going into open water for whatever purpose to save their lives.

    NAN

     

  • Kano: Ganduje and challenges of second term

    Kano State Governor Abdullahi Ganduje has been re-elected for a second term. Many challenges will confront his administration. Correspondent Kola Adeyemi examines the issues and how the governor should tackle them.

    The Kano State governorship poll was an epic battle between Governor Abdullahi Ganduje of the All Progressives Congress (APC) and his challenger, Abba Yusuf of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP). Yusuf is also the anointed  god-son and son-in-law to former Governor Rabi’u  Kwankwaso.

    The PDP and its candidate have resolved to challenge Ganduje’s victory at the Kano State Election Petition Tribunal. Ganduje, has maintained that the PDP and its candidate have no case at the tribunal, describing his victory as the wish of God and the people who, he said, massively voted for him.

    Ganduje who penetrated the ranks of the PDP before and during the elections. He has also promised to run an all-inclusive government, designed to carry everybody along. With the  defection of PDP chieftains into APC, shortly before the general elections, pundits continue to ponder on how Ganduje will be able to handle the crowd of defectors, and their diverse interests.

    Last week, a PDP chieftain, Yahaya Umar Bagobiri, led notable leaders and stakeholders of the party on solidarity visit to Ganduje. They revealed how and why they assiduously worked for Ganduje’s victory, even as they remained in PDP. They pledged to continue to support the governor for a successful second tenure.

    According to Bagobiri, what they did by supporting Ganduje was not  anti-party activity. He said: “We did it in the open and also through the media. That our people should support Governor Ganduje in his second term bid, and we all did it. What we did was simply efforts in strengthening democratic structures and principle of free and fair choice.”

    Bagobiri said Ganduje’s victory was ordained by God, pointing out that, “with this victory, Your Excellency, we can say Allah saved us, Kano and its people from that tyranny. This is what we have been yearning for, Your Excellency. That was why we came in block and supported your candidature, which yields fruits at the end of the day.”

    He added: “We hope the next four years would be more fruitful to the state. We believe Governor Ganduje has all the capacity to take the state to the Next Level.” Bogobiri said that their visit to Ganduje was approved by PDP leaders such as former Minister of Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Aminu Bashir Wali, Senator Bello Hayatu Gwarzo and Dr. Akilu Sani Indabawa.

    A PDP leader, Bello Gambo Bichi, said original PDP members, who never defected to any political party in the past, from the entire 44 Local Government Areas, strongly supported Ganduje. He said: “All of our leadership across the 44 Local Government Areas are with you Sir. All our women leaders and youth leaders were with us when we supported your candidature. We are all hoping to continue supporting your government alongside its policies and programmes.”

    Ganduje thanked them for the visit and assured that, he would run an all-inclusive government, as a show of appreciation and respect for the harmonious working relationship between him and the original PDP members in the state.

    Ganduje pointed out that, “the candidature of the said PDP gubernatorial candidate who contested in the last guber poll, was unfairly imposed on other PDP members. What unfair treatment is as painful as this one?” He also expressed surprised that  Kwankwaso did not concede defeat and wondered why the former governor should hold the view that the  election was not free, fair and credible.

    Ganduje said: “The election was freely, fairly and credibly conducted. You know this man (Kwankwaso) is not familiar with anything free, fair and credible. That is why whenever there is any free, fair and credible treatment; he sees that as unfair treatment. I know him more than anyone else. I am the Dictionary and Encyclopedia of knowing Kwankwaso”.

    “During the gubernatorial poll, all peace-loving people in the state decided to see to the exit of Kwankwaso from partisan politics. That was why you deemed it necessary to join hands with us and finally stone the Devil. Kwankwaso should expect more, looking at how he super-imposed the gubernatorial candidature on others in the PDP. That was not within the ambit of free, fair and credible primary election. What moral justification does he (Kwankwaso) have in this kind of scenario. To even open mouth and cry for help against what he terms as injustice?”

    In what looks like a move to assuage the fears of pundits who believe that Ganduje may abandon the defectors and those who worked for him while still in the PDP, he said, he will dissolve his cabinet immediately after May 29 inauguration. He hinted that he will collapse his current cabinet on May 29, with a view to ejecting fresh blood that will help consolidate on the modest achievements recorded in the past four years.

    Read also: Ganduje mourns ex-Kano Gov.Hamza Abdullahi

    To many, Ganduje is faced with the challenge of allocating political positions to numerous heavy-weights who lent their support to him before, during and after the election. Though some are of the view that sharing of positions may lead to controversy within the APC and other political shades that worked for his victory, the governor said he would carry everybody along. He also said he will pick the best ‘eleven’ that will only propel the state to the Next Level.

    Pundits are of the opinion that Ganduje’s second tenure should ensure the spread of democratic dividends across the 44 Local Government Areas in terms of providing infrastructural development and ensuring revolution in agricultural, which could be enhanced through creation of access roads that can connect the rural areas to urban areas for easy movement of agricultural produce.

    Another challenge is the five kilometer road project started and abandoned by the Kwankwaso’s administration. Though Ganduje has complained that the project was not duly planned, many residents has called on him to revive the project and ensure its completion in this tenure.

    Another area begging for attention is the education sector. Many residents said they are still interested in the free-feeding programme for primary school pupils, as well as expansion of class rooms in both primary and secondary schools in the state.

    With the zeal at which Ganduje is coming up, one can only expect that the next four years will re-write the history of the ancient commercial city of Kano in terms of socio-economic development. As Ganduje begins the second-term on May 29, all eyes are on him as he takes up the task of righting the wrongs to put Kano on the front-pew of emerging mega-cities in Africa.

     

  • Fire razes 35 shops in Kurmin Yan-nama market, Kano

    The Kano State Fire Service says 35 temporary shops been destroyed by fire at Kurmin Yan-nama Market in Kano State.

    The spokesman of the service, Alhaji Saidu Mohammed confirmed the incident while speaking with newsmen in Kano on Sunday.

    He said 27 of the shops were completely razed, while eight were slightly burnt.

    “We received a distress call in the early hours of Sunday at about 04:56 a.m from one Ado Musa that there was fire outbreak at the market.

    “On receiving the information, we quickly sent our persfromonnel and fire fighting vehicles to the scene of the incident at about 05:03 a.m to stop the fire spreading to other shops,“ he said.

    Read Also: Man drowns in Kano

    He advised traders to be more careful and desist from using instruments capable of triggering fire as a way of guarding against future occurrence.

    Mohammed also advised residents to keep fire buckets, blankets and extinguishers at home to enable them curtail fire outbreak before calling on the fire service.

    Mohammed said the cause of the fire was  still being investigated.

  • Fire razes building in Kano

    The Kano State Fire Service on Saturday said that fire had razed the last floor of a three-storey building at Sabon Gari in Fagge Local Government Area of Kano.

    Spokesman of the service, Alhaji Saidu Mohammed, who confirmed the incident to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), said the fire started at about 02:11 p.m. at No 83 Sarkin Yaki, Sabon Gari, Kano.

    “We received a distress call from Sabon Gari Market Division this afternoon (Saturday) from one Mr Emeka at about 02:11 p.m. that there was a fire outbreak at a dwelling house.

    “Upon receiving the information, we quickly sent a fire vehicle to the scene at about 02:18 p.m., to bring the situation under control,’’ he said.

    Read Also: Man drowns in Kano

    He said the inferno affected three bedrooms and two kitchens in the residential building.

    In another development, the fire service spokesman said that another fire occurred around 12:52 p.m. at Rimin Kebe Gadar Katako in Nasarawa Local Government Area.

    “Out of the four rooms, only one room was slightly burnt with the quick intervention of the firemen,” Mohammed said.

    He added that the cause of the fire was still being investigated.

    NAN

     

  • Emir proposes Muslim Family Bill to tackle child spacing, domestic violence

    The Emir of Kano, Muhammad Sanusi Il, said arrangements have been concluded to present the proposed Muslim Family Bill to Governor Abdullahi Umar Ganduje for onward presentation to the State House of Assembly for legislative action.

    The emir, who confirmed this yesterday at a round table discussion organised by the Manufacturers Association of Nigeria in Kano,  said the bill was conceptualized to address the challenges of child spacing, family planning and domestic violence among others.

    The monarch said having realized that the idea might not be realized if solely pursued by himself, he decided to set up a committee of lawyers and scholars to  put together the proposed document

    He said even though he got only 80 per cent of what he wanted in the bill, if passed into law, it would address a number of socio-economic problems bedeviling the state.

    Emir Sanusi hoped that the governor would be able to lobby the state lawmakers to ensure passage of the bill, adding that the President of Niger Republic had approached him (the Emir) that he would be patiently waiting for the passage of the bill into law to enable the country to adopt it.

    Read Also: Emir Sanusi urges Gov. Ganduje to forgive all

    The monarch has predicted that if the present fast growing poverty in the country is not checked, Nigeria and the Democratic Republic of Congo will shoulder 40 per cent of the people living in extreme poverty across the globe by the year 2050.

    The emir said by the year 2050, Africa continent will have 86 per cent of people living with extreme poverty in the world and Nigeria would get half of the population as well as maintain her top ranking as the world poverty capital.

    He linked his position with the overwhelming fast-growing population in the country where an average of a poor woman bears eight children to a poor man with four wives and ended up raising 32 children in poverty, hence contributing to the 77 per cent of poor people in Kano State.

    The monarch, who also berated payment of fuel subsidy to the detriment of other social amenities, lamented that the leaders must have the goodwill and proffer better long term solution to remedy the situation.

    Emir Sanusi also warned politicians to stop thinking about the next four years’ election, adding that they should initiate robust strategies towards securing the future of the younger generation.

  • Abba files petition against Ganduje’s victory

    Twenty days after the declaration of Gov. Abdullahi Ganduje as winner of the March 23 governorship election in Kano State by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), the PDP in Kano on Thursday finally filed petition against the victory.

    The petition filed by the party before the governorship election tribunal is contending its governorship candidate Abba Yusuf, won the March 9 election, as such any result other than that was a nullity.

    The party is also contending that the supplementary election conducted by INEC was unconstitutional and unlawful.

    Read Also: I’m ready to face PDP in court, says Ganduje

    Speaking to journalists shortly after filing the petition, Yusuf said during the March 9 governorship election the PDP got the highest votes across the 44 local governments in the state.

    “The prayer we are asking is for the tribunal to determine the actual winner in the election that took place on March 9.

    ” To me as the PDP candidate the only election that took place was on March 9.”

    He noted the issue of supplementary election as far as PDP is concerned was an illegality ‘which we reject and have nothing to do with that is the content of the petition.”

    The petitioners Counsel, Maliki Kuliya-Umar, said the declaration of the March 9 election as inconclusive was an opportunity given to APC to rig its candidate back to power.

    “We trust the tribunal to do what is right by confirming the election of March 9, as it was the only election recognized by law,” he said.

    Umar argued that whatever reason INEC had to declare the March 9 election inconclusive was unconstitutional and not in accordance with the provisions of the Electoral Act.

    NAN

     

  • Kano sends 32 dons to France

    Kano State Governor Abdullahi Umar Ganduje has entered into an agreement with the French government to sponsor science-based lecturers in government-owned tertiary institutions for postgraduate studies abroad.

    The programme started in 2016, when Kano first sent 11 lecturers from the Kano University of Science and Technology, Wudil, Yusuf Maitama Sule University and Kano State Polytechnic, to study various science-based programmes in prestigious French universities.

    Another set of 11 were sent in the second batch in 2017, which also included lecturers from Sa’adatu Rimi College of Education, Kumbotso, College of Education and Preliminary, Kano, Audu Bako College of Agriculture and College of Arts, Sciences and Preliminary Studies, Tudunwada.

    Last year, 10 lecturers from various state-owned tertiary institutions went to France. Altogether, there have been 32 beneficiaries.

    In a letter of appreciation to the governor, the Chairman of the Kano State Government/French Embassy Joint Scholarship beneficiaries, Malam Bashir Ado of the Chemistry Department, Kano State College of Education and Preliminary Studies, praised Ganduje for being unique and transparent.

    He added that the state had the highest number of foreign-sponsored students in France.

    “This shows seriousness and unalloyed commitment,” the letter reads.

    The programme is being coordinated under the office of the Senior Special Assistant to the Governor on Higher Education, Dr Hussaini Jarma, whom the beneficiaries praised for his commitment.

    Jarma said the programme was jointly being funded by the state government and the French government.

    According to the agreement, the French government pays tuition fees and health insurance expenses. while the state government takes care of students’ upkeep and travelling allowances.

    “This programme is jointly carried out between the state government and French government. It is restricted only to lecturers.  The state pays all its dues to the French Embassy account directly. There is no third party engagement.  It is a bilateral scholarship scheme with well-defined responsibilities for the two parties, that is Kano State government and French government,” he said

    Jarma said while some of the beneficiaries completed their second degrees, others enrolled for PhD programmes.

    This year, Jarma said a fourth batch of lecturers would also go for their postgraduate studies.

    “Our wish is to, in the next 10 years, have higher institutions that could compete with any similar institutions at the global level,” he said.