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Tag: SENATOR

  • Senator earns N12m yearly, says RMAFC

    Senator earns N12m yearly, says RMAFC

    A Senator earns N12,766,320 yearly, the Revenue Mobilisation Allocation and Fiscal Commission (RMAFC) has said.

    Legislators’ pay has been the subject of a big controversy, with some critics alleging that a senator earns as much as N29.8 million yearly.

    This, said the RMAFC in a newspaper advertorial yesterday, is not correct.

    In a statement signed by the Acting Secretary to the Commission, Usman I. Garndawa, the RMAFC said: “The attention of the RMAFC has been drawn to an avalanche of media reports concerning the current remuneration package for political, public and Judicial office holders in Nigeria. The said reports further quoted RMAFC as the source of their information. Accordingly, the Commission, therefore, considers it most appropriate and necessary to provide the actual details of present remuneration package for political, public and judicial office holders to avoid misinformation and misrepresentation of facts capable of misleading citizens and members of the international community.”

    In a recent study, the United Kingdom (UK) based Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority, IPSA and the International Monetary Fund (IMF), as reported by The Economist , a Nigerian legislator, it was alleged, earns a basic salary ( excluding allowances) of about N29.8 million per annum. The report also suggested that the salary is 116 times more than the country’s Gross Domestic Product, GDP, per person, which has been pegged at about N251, 200.

    Expectedly, the report generated local and international uproar with civil society organisations calling for an immediate review of the ‘jumbo package”.

    The RMAFC said a senator earns N2,026,400.00 as annual basic salary, which translates to N168, 866.70 per month.

    According to the RMAFC, this has been the official remuneration package since February 2007 till date.

    However, there are other regular allowances which have been calculated as: Motor Vehicle Fuelling and Maintenance, N1,519,800.00; personal assistant N506,600.00, Domestic Staff N1,519,800.00; Entertainment N607,920.00;Utilities N607,920.00; Newspapers/Periodicals N303,960.00, Wardrobe N506,600.00; House Maintenance N101,320.00 and Constituency allowance N5,066,000.00 making a total of N12,766,320.00 as the salary per annum for a Senator.

    The breakdown monthly– basic salary and allowances – a senator takes home N1.063.860.00 monthly.

    Other allowances, which are paid annually or once in four years and when applicable, are: Accommodation N4, 052,800.00, which is paid annually; furniture allowance N6, 079,200.00 which is paid once in four years. Also, there is Duty Tour Allowance, DTA (per night), which is N37,000. Estacode (per night) is $950. Recess allowance is N202,640.00 and severance gratuity, paid after a successful completion of tenure, is N6,079,200.00. A Senator could also apply for a car loan of N8, 105,600.00 which must be repaid before the expiration of his tenure.

    A member of the House of Representatives earns slightly lower than a Senator, with a basic yearly salary of N1,985,212.50, divided into a monthly salary of N165,434.40. However, the total salary, including the regular allowances, is N9, 529,038.06. This is outside the other allowances, which include: Accommodation N3,970,425.00; Furniture N5,955,637.50; DTA N35,000; Estacode $900; Recess N198,521.25 and Severance Gratuity N5,955,637.50. A Representative can also apply for a car loan of N7,940,850.00.

    A member of the House of Representatives takes home N794,088.83 only.

    According to the RMAFC, the emoluments for ministers, Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Head of Service and Chairmen of Constitutional Bodies are close to those of the Senators with a basic annual salary of N2, 026,400.00 and a total annual take-home pay of N7, 801,640.00 minus other allowances which include: Accommodation, furniture, DTA, estacode, severance gratuity, leave bonus and car loan – all amounting to about N24, 695, 40.00, per annum.

    Minister of State and members of constitutional bodies earn an annual basic salary of N1957, 580.00 and a total annual salary of N7, 536,683.00. Like the Minister, the Minister of State also earns special allowance package, which includes: Accommodation N3,915,160.00, Furniture N5,872,740.00, DTA N30,000 (per night), Estacode $900 ( per night), Severance Gratuity N5,872,740.00, Leave Allowance N195,758.00 and a car loan of N7,830,320.00.

    The RMAFC said the remuneration package, which is contained in the Certain Political, Public and Judicial Office Holders Salaries and Allowances etc, (Amendment) Act of 2008, states the actual amount being paid to legislators and other public officers, adding, however that “any other allowance (s) enjoyed by any political, public office holder outside those provided in the Remuneration Act of 2008 is not known to the Commission and the Chief Accounting Officer should be held accountable”.

    The Economist compared the salaries and allowances of Nigeria’s public office holders with those of the developed countries, concluding that Nigeria’s public office holders are the highest paid in the world, followed by Kenya, Ghana and Indonesia in that order. The public officers in Norway, Spain and Sri Lanka earn the lowest in the world.

    However, some lawmakers have come out to counter the outrage sparked by the publication, describing it as misleading. According to Zakari Muhammed, spokesman of the House of Representatives, the report is an exaggeration. “Whatever is being written is mere exaggeration and does not reflect what is accurate. They fail to realise that what we take as salaries is different from what we use in running our offices.”

    The RMAFC, in faulting the figures published by The Economist, said: “It is, therefore, wrong and misleading to add up allowances irrespective of whether they are regular, refundable or non-regular, as the regular annual emoluments of political and public office holders.”

     

  • Our pampered, weeping and ignorant senators

    Last week, this column intervened on the constitution amendment programme undertaken by the National Assembly, and the indeter-minate quality of the avowed conscience of our distinguished senators; and to some extent, the Representatives, in that process. That exercise has now been temporary suspended, as the legislatures take a holiday, to enable most of them make haste to Europe and America with their clear conscience to enjoy the tranquil environment and the sun, otherwise called summer break. Few may, however, stay home for their Ramadan. Never mind that the sun is in abundance in this part, summer holiday gives the senators and other privileged Nigerians the opportunity to holiday in saner climes, as against our degraded environment and the challenges of underdeveloped infrastructure. Unfortunately, Nigeria is the haven, where the senators rake in unconscionable resources with which they travel to pamper themselves abroad.

    In that piece, I had warned: ‘Regrettably, the conscience of our distinguished senators has proved inadequate in the circumstance … Either that their conscience is so blurred that it is incapable of conscientious exercises or that it is so stunted that it is incapable of conscious reasoning’. Within the past week, a distinguished senator from Ondo State, on the platform of the Labour Party, Senator Ayo Akinyelure, furthered the debate over his colleagues’ inadequacies, as he claimed that he voted in the so called underage-marriage constitutional provision in error. To show that he thoroughly regrets his error, he was reported to have wept profusely when he was summoned by his constituency to a caucus meeting in Akure, Ondo State, to explain his preference.

    In essence, the distinguished senator has confirmed that like the rest of us, emotions, are also part of the challenges of our senators. Now that it has been evidenced by The Economist of London in its recent edition that our lawmakers are the highest paid, among their contemporaries across the world, shall we say that our lawmakers made the enabling, but clearly unconstitutional act to over-pay one another out of sheer emotion? Again, with that exposure that our legislators are earning way too higher than the job they are doing, shall we see our legislators like Senator Akinyelure go back to their constituencies and openly weep for that misconduct and ask for forgiveness; and immediately take recourse to common sense and the constitution? As I have persistently argued on this page, our national legislators, with the dubious self-awarded income they forcefully appropriate to themselves, have little moral authority to exercise their constitutional prerogative of oversight. As a legal maxim posits: Nemo dat qui non habet: No one gives who does not posses. So, the men and women at the National Assembly with jaundiced moral authority can’t enforce much.

    Last week also, the Senate President, Senator David Mark, under pressure over the constitution amendment process, added another dimension to the challenges of the legislators. He was reported to have claimed that most of his colleagues were blackmailed and that they acted ignorantly, during the amendment process. In naming the blackmailed senators, I guess Mr. Senate Preident may rank number one. After all, the senate had already voted to delete Section 29(4b) of the 1999 Constitution as amended, before Senator Ahmed Yerima of Zamfara State took the stand to blackmail the Senate President to call for another round of voting on the same issue. Following the second round of voting, ignorance entered the mix, as Senator Yerima dubiously used religion to garner the required number of nay voters to kill the amendment. So, the requisite number of ignorant and blackmailed senators voted to retain that provision; which apparently delighted all the pedophiles.

    Now with ignorance and blackmail named by the Senate President as the further challenges of his colleagues; it is our collective responsibility to educate our legislators over the on-going constitution amendment exercise and other matters of national importance. It is commendable that the Gender and Constitution Reform Network, made up of very distinguished women, including Dr. Oby Ezekwesili, former Minister of Education, has thrown their weight, into the ring, in the arduous but very important task of educating our legislators and shielding them from blackmail. Again it is also important that our senators are guided to shun unlawful appropriation of our common resources, whether as a result of blackmail by the tempter or ignorance of the law or both.

    To help the legislators work against ignorance, especially the type that has resulted in unconstitutional conduct, it is important that I yet again remind them to read paragraph 32(d) of the third schedule to the 1999 Constitution as amended. That section provides that the Revenue Mobilisation and Fiscal Commission shall have power to: “determine the remuneration appropriate for political office holders, including the President, Vic-President, Governors, Deputy Governors, Ministers, Commissioners, Special Advisers, Legislators and the holders of the offices mentioned in section 84 and 124 of this constitution….” In my view that provision is clear enough, and our distinguished senators can not fool us that they have acted ignorantly to allocate to themselves, more remuneration by whatever name called than their contemporaries across the world.

    Let me say that in the constitution amendment process, the House of Representatives so far, appear to be more clear-headed than the Senate as to what new provisions should be put in the constitution to help our country far better. They have voted among other innovations to separate the office of the Attorney-General from the Minister of Justice, the Auditor- General of the Federation from that of the Federal Government and the grant of autonomy to state legislatures. However in granting autonomy to local governments, they failed to create constitutional rights over economic activities, which is why many of the existing states are technically insolvent.

  • Taraba group shows support for senator

    A group in Taraba, Kuteb Youth Forum (KYF), yesterday passed a vote-of-confidence in Senator Emmanuel Bwacha for “selflessly and credibly” representing them in the National Assembly.

    The group addressed reporters at the Teachers’ House, Jalingo, the state capital.

    Bwacha is the chairman, Senate Committee on Agriculture and Rural Development. A group from his Taraba South constituency, the Southern Taraba Youth Forum (STYF), recently sought his recall.

    But KYF President, Comrade Ande Apollos, and the Secretary, Mr. Rimamnyangs Luka, yesterday said the STYF was “a collection of idle fellows” who were allegedly sponsored by opponents of the senator.

    They described those seeking Bwacha’s recall as a “hatched group” and asked them to “pull it off” or face the law.

    Apollos described STYF’s act of “monkey business” as insalubrious, adding that their action was creating discord in Taraba South.

    He said: “Our decision to pass a vote-of-confidence in Bwacha was taken on Monday at the end of our meeting, following recent uncanny moves by some unpatriotic and disgruntled elements or a collection of idle fellows sponsored by perceived opponents of Senator Bwacha. They have been making empty noise that Senator Bwacha be recalled.”

     

     

  • Senators’ conscience on constitution amendment

    The Nigerian legislature despite protests from a significant section ofthe political elites has taken upon themselves the responsibility to fundamentally amend the constitution of our country. The legislatures insist that they are constitutionally imbued with the power based on the provisions of Section 9 of the 1999 Constitution, as amended. Those opposed to this exercise argue that a fundamental amendment of the basic law of the country requires the services of a constituent assembly, specifically elected to carry out such an exercise. Some even argue that there is a need for a referendum after any fundamental amendment, for it to be properly called a grundnum – that is the foundational law of the land.

    Unfortunately, the current constitution is not autochthonous, as it was forced on the country by a military fiat, even though the constitution lied in its preamble that the people of Nigeria gave it to themselves. Having accepted the 1999 Constitution with its flaws, we also have to accept the ongoing amendment, as long as it conforms to the provisions of that constitution. Last week, the Senate started to vote on the clause by clause amendment of the constitution, based principally on the recommendations of the committee headed by Deputy Senate President, Ike Ekweremadu. On their own part, the House of Representatives are also getting set to vote based on the so called consultations the members held last year.

    Senate President David Mark, while kick starting the transparent voting process, enjoined his colleagues to vote according to their conscience. And they have. Regrettably, the conscience of our distinguished senators has proved inadequate in the circumstance. And we can only conjecture the reasons. Either that their conscience is so blurred that it is incapable of conscientious exercises or that it is so stunted that it is incapable of conscious reasoning. So far the exercise has not shown us that the distinguished senators are conscientiously patriotic. All they have done is to seek to whittle down the powers of the executive at federal and state levels, while expanding the legislative powers and influence in the Republic. Their other major interest is on how to share the national resources.

    The senators unfortunately have spared no thought on expanding and protecting the economic and socio-political rights of the ordinary citizens, or strengthening the provisions for fighting the debilitating corruption that is eating away the foundation of our country. Rather our senators have made headlines for shamelessly falling to the antics of the former Governor of Zamfara State, Senator Ahmed Yerima, by allowing our constitution to our collective shame to surreptitiously provide for under-aged marriage. Even after Senator Mark had appealed to his colleagues to re-awaken their sleeping conscience, the senators overwhelmingly voted to allow the pedophiles like Ahmed Yerima, a field day in 21st century Nigeria.

    To show the deadness of the conscience of our senators and even the representatives, there has been no champion for expanded socio-economic rights of the citizens of Nigeria throughout the ongoing exercise. This tragedy of our modern day politicians, rallies among the so called progressives and the derided ultra-conservatives, alike. No single legislator has taken to the roof top to demand that the fundamental objectives and directive principles of the state, provided in chapter 11 of our constitution, but made non-justiciable by the collaborating cavernous elites in the army should under the on-going amendment be made justiciable, as a means of empowering the people against the ravenous economic buccaneers, holding our nation by the jugular, in the name of elected officialdom.

    Again the conscience of our distinguished senators smacks of substantial illiteracy or dubious pretences. One glaring example is the refusal to separate the office of the attorney general from that of minister of justice and make its budgetary allocation a first line charge. Now with the attorney general and minister or commissioner for justice as one and the same person, appointed by the president or governor, the law makers should know that, such appointee will be more concerned plotting survival strategies instead of fighting corruption or other high crimes against the state. So again, our lawmakers have not bothered to critically and wholesomely examine our criminal justice system, to take necessary steps to strengthen same.

    Since the conscience of our distinguished legislators also appears hard of hearing, let me repeat the worn out argument that there is the need to have a streamlined state capacity to define, prevent, investigate, prosecute, try, and punish crime. That involves the legislature, the police, the attorney general, the courts and the prisons within the precincts of the powers of the state or the federating unit, in a properly so called federal system of government. Where the constitution of a country, such as ours, allows the prevalence of confusion, in its criminal justice system, it is either the elites have connived to allow same, or they are substantially ignorant as to the requirements for a modern society. As things are, what primarily drives our legislatures is subject to debate.

    It is also strange that no political party has come forward to enunciate its fundamental principles and objectives as a guide for its members, in this exercise. One had expected that all the political parties or at least those with progressive tendencies would come out with its core believes for advancing our country, and hope that her members would follow the guide. The absence of any clear party principles and policies, on such a fundamental process as constitution amendment is strange. Also distressing is that despite the so called caucuses based on regions and zones, there are no attempts to hammer out guiding interests for members. What we thus have as constitution amendment process is a cacophonous confusion to further our existing distress.

     

  • Imo traditional chair: Senator praises court on verdict

    Imo traditional chair: Senator praises court on verdict

    Senator Hope Uzodimma representing Imo West Senatorial District in the National Assembly, yesterday described the reinstatement of Eze Cletus Ilomuanya by an Appeal Court in Owerri, Imo State as the Chairman, Imo State Council of Traditional Rulers as a proof that the reign of terror in the state is temporary.

    While congratulating the royal father, Uzodimma who is the Senate Committee Chairman on Aviation in a statement in Abuja at the weekend, said the court verdict was victory for justice.

    He applauded the Appeal Court justices for their forthrightness in ensuring that justice prevailed at last.

    Uzodimma said that as the senator representing the monarch, he was particularly elated that the injustice meted out to him had been overturned by the court.

    He cautioned politicians in the positions of authority against playing God in their decisions and thinking that the lives of others were in their hands, as the positions they hold are in trust.

    According to him, “Ilomuanya’s victory is for the oppressed Imo people and I call on all Imolites to wake up and fight against injustice and anything evil”.

    It would be recalled that this would be the second time the Appeal Court would overturn the ruling of the Imo State Chief Judge. The first was in the case of the sack of elected local government councils in Imo State by the state governor, Rochas Okorocha, which compelled the Association of Local Governments of Nigeria (ALGON) to take the state government to court.

    In the instance case, the Court of Appeal had ruled that Ilomuanya remains in office as the Chairman, Imo State Council of Traditional rulers until the expiration of his tenure in 2015.

    The Court also restrained the Imo State Governor, Chief Rochas Okorocha, his Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice as well as “their servants, agents or howsoever from truncating or interfering with the activities of the Imo State Council of Traditional Rulers under Eze Ilomuanya until the expiration of his tenure in 2015”.

     

  • Senator hails Fed Govt on second Niger Bridge

    The Senator representing Anambra North, Mrs. Margery Chuba-Okadigbo, has lauded the Federal Government for the commencement of work on the Second Niger Bridge.

    Senator Okadigbo said she was elated and full of gratitude with the news that the Federal Government has given “Letter of Intent” to Julius Berger to begin initial work on the strategic bridge.

    The lawmaker added that it was a thing of delight to her constituents that Julius Berger has mobilised to site to commence preliminary work on the bridge.

    Senator Okadigbo who stated this in a letter of appreciation to President Goodluck Jonathan, said the bridge will catalyse greater socio-economic activities and commercial benefits to Nigerians when completed.

     

  • Senator Daisy Danjuma buries mum in style

    Penultimate Friday, the bigwigs gathered in Benin, Edo State capital, for the burial of Senator Daisy Danjuma’s mother, Dame Merry Oritsetimeyin Ehanire. To say the burial of the senator’s mother, who passed away on Tuesday, April 30, 2013, was befitting would amount to stating the obvious.

    Before the burial, the wake keep for Daisy’s mother had taken place on Thursday, May 23, 2013 at Our Saviour’s Anglican Church, G.R.A, Benin, Edo State. In attendance were the late woman’s children: Osagie, Iyayi, Edugie, Andy, Yawa and Isiah, as well as her in-laws and grandchildren.

    The body of the senator’s mother was kept in a N5 million gold and metallic casket. Those who graced the burial included the Governor of Edo State, Comrade Adams Oshiomhole; his Delta State counterpart, Dr. Emmanuel Uduaghan; the Senate President, Senator David Mark; Chief Gabriel Igbinedion and his pretty wife, Cherry; Grace Egbagbe and former Aviation Minister, Senator Kema Chikwe, among other dignitaries.

    Daisy’s husband, Gen. T.Y. Danjuma, co-hosted the event.

  • No personality clash in APC, says senator

    No personality clash in APC, says senator

    •’We’re still probing N16b VP’s house

    The All Progressives Congress (APC) will not suffer from personality clashes despite the merger of political parties, it was learnt yesterday.

    Vice-Chairman, Senate Committee on Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Senator Domingo Obende, who said this in Abuja, noted that the leaders of the APC are mature and have wealth of experience to run the party.

    Obende also said the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) senators are likely to toe the path of national interest in their contributions to the debate on the state of emergency in Borno, Yobe and Adamawa states today in the Senate.

    The lawmaker representing Edo North in the Upper Chamber said the country is on the path of “government change”, with the emergence of APC.

    On whether personality clashes will derail the formation of the APC, he said individuals in APC came together to form the party with the aim of salvaging the country from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) misrule.

    Obende said: “I believe that because they are adults and are intelligent and know that the nation is drifting apart, they must come together with their own ideas that will bring about peace. To be able to do the rightful selection as regards leadership of the party.

    “If this is done, I believe we are going to be on the path of government change.

    “This is what I am looking at because if you check what has been happening for the past eight years, you will agree with me that the present government is not taking us to anywhere that we can call a destination.

    “If four or five political parties have come together, believing that they have the quality to lead Nigeria to somewhere, I think they should be given a chance. I very much doubt that there is going to be personality clash.

    “I believe that APC at the end of the day will rule this country.”

    The lawmaker also said the Senate is in the process of unravelling what led to sharp increase in the cost of building the Vice-President’s (VP’s) house in Abuja.

    He noted that the committee has not been furnished with the information it demanded from the contractor handling the N16billion project.

    Obende said until members of the committee receive the information as to the bill of quantity and drawings of the house, the committee cannot give its blessing for additional funding.

    Said he: “We insist that before we can improve on the funding, we need to see the drawings, we need to see the bill of quantity.

    “We also have our consultants. Let them look at it. Are we going to spend this much from tax payers’ money, presuming that it is going to be occupied by a family because whether you have four wives and one man, you are still a family.

    “This is the way we look at it. As we speak, we have not been able to arrive at any conclusion, whether the project will go on or not. But if we get all the documents we are asking for, basically, we are not here to stop the wheel of progress, we will allow the project to go on.”

    On the likely position of the opposition lawmakers when the emergency rule imposed on the three states is being considered, Obende said: “The ACN as a body has the right to oppose whatever that is going on in the nation. It also has the right to support whatever that is going on.

    “But we have a caucus in the National Assembly and the aim of the caucus is to move along with the national tide. If we are going for good, we will move along with it.

    “As we see that the nation is drifting, it is our duty to bring it back to alignment. What I think we are going to be looking at tomorrow is not the position of ACN, but the position of the nation. Is it going to be better for the country or it is not going to be better for the country?

    “I believe we should not forcefully abort the baby right now. As a caucus of the ACN, we have not taken a decision and it is only after our meeting that we will come up with a position and I believe the position is going to be in the interest of the nation.

    “We are not going to be party dogmatic. Our position is going to be a position in the Nigerian interest.”

    On whether he has any regret on his bill proscribing same sex marriage in the country, following global trends on the issue, the senator said: “I do not have any regret.”

    He added: “When a nation is a sovereign nation, she makes laws for herself and her citizens. Our laws are not meant for the international community because they have laws governing them. We should also have laws governing us.”

     

  • SSS parades man who claimed Akpabio wanted to kill senator

    SSS parades man who claimed Akpabio wanted to kill senator

    A 29-YEAR-OLD graduate of Mechanical Engineering, Adelola Tamunotonye Olaore, has been paraded by the State Security Service (SSS) for alleged impersonation and attempt to obtain money by fraudulent means.

    SSS spokesperson Ms. Marilyn Ogar alleged the suspect approached Senator Aloysius Etok and told him that he had information about a plot by Akwa Ibom State Governor Godswill Akpabio to assassinate the senator.

    According to the SSS, Etok played along with the suspect and encouraged him to come to Abuja from his base in Port Harourt,Rivers State.

    Having informed the SSS about the plot, the Senator lodged the suspect in one of the high-brow hotels in Abuja where he was arrested by security operatives after his interaction with the senator.

    Ogar said: “The suspect introduced himself to the senator as General Africa, an ex-militant from Bayelsa State. He then told the senator that he had been contracted by three of governor Akpabio’s loyalists to assassinate him.

    “In order to convince the senator, he offered to furnish him with details of the governor’s purported bank account and energy company in South Africa. That he offered to broker peace between the senator and the governor, which the senator accepted.”

    Olaore, however, denied telling the senator about any assassination plot against him. He admitted that he had lied to the senator about having the right connections to broker peace between him and the governor.

    He said: “The truth is that I lied to the senator that I am highly connected enough to arrange for the governor and the senator to settle their differences.

    “I got the senator’s telephone number when I went to the Port Harcourt office of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) sometime in January.

    “I stumbled on his complimentary card in one of the NDDC offices when I went there to submit a mail. But when I learnt about the rift between him and the governor, I decided to approach the senator with the aim of obtaining some money from him.

    “All I needed was about N300, 000 to pursue my master’s degree programme and I thought I could get it from the senator by lying to him about myself and my mission.

    “I never told the senator that I had information on anyone trying to assassinate him. I only lied to obtain money from him by pretending to be what I am not and I regret my action”.

    Akpabio and Etok have been at each other’s throat over the Ikot Ekpene senatorial seat ahead of 2015. Etok currently occupies the office. Akpabio is eyeing the seat.

    The senator yesterday told reporters on the telephone that he was at a function and that it was not convenient for him to speak on the matter.

    The SSS said the suspect will soon be charged to court.

     

  • Senator empowers constituents with N80m

    Senator Bello Hayatu Gwarzo, representing Kano North, yesterday distributed empowerment items worth over N80 million to scores of beneficiaries in the 13 local government areas under his constituency.

    Gwarzo also used the occasion to announce his plans to establish N400 million Girls’ Science Secondary School in Gwarzo town.

    According to him, contacts have already been made to begin the project.

    The senator said the Kano State Government has given its consent to the gesture to complement Governor Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso’s revolution in the education sector.

    Gwarzo also said the establishment of the proposed Girls’ Science Secondary School was dream come true, adding that he has been on the vanguard of promoting girl-child education.

    He said the school, upon completion, will have two science laboratories, two hostels, a library, a twin three-bedroom flats for the principal and his vice as well as four other structures to serve as the staff quarters.