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Anger as Sanusi appears last on Kano gov’t house emirs’ portrait pictures

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By Nazifi Dawud & Mukhtar Yahaya Usman

Many residents in Kano city have expressed bitterness over the awkward arrangement of portrait pictures of the five emirs in Kano state on the Coronation Hall at the Kano Government House, where that of Emir of Kano Muhammad Sanusi II appeared last.

Kano Focus reports that the five emirs’ portraits were hung on the inside and outside walls of the Coronation Hall on Thursday.

The arrangement of the pictures show Alhaji Aminu Ado Bayero, Emir of Bichi, appearing first followed by Alhaji Tafida Abubakar Autan Bawo (Emir of Rano), Alhaji  Ibrahim Abdulkadir (Emir of Gaya), Alhaji Ibrahim Abubakar II ( Emir of Karaye) and lastly, Malam Muhammad Sanusi II, Emir of Kano.

The Coronation Hall, Kano Government House

The placement of Emir Sanusi’s portrait in the last position on the hierarchy of the five emirs is seen as an “affront and a show of gross disrespect” on his person and office, for the mere fact that the Kano State Government House is situated in Nasarawa local government area of the state–one of the eight local governments under Sanusi’s domain.

Observers have argued that the other emirs would not have allowed their own portraits to be “downgraded” in a similar fashion in their own territories.

“The open ridicule on Emir Muhammad Sanusi by the Kano government as indicated in this strange and unfair arrangement of emirs portraits only shows that the cold war between Governor Abdullahi Ganduje and the revered monarch is far from over,” a resident Hassan Isa Gwale told our correspondent.

Inside the Coronation Hall

Kano Focus recalls that Governor Ganduje split the erstwhile powerful Kano Emirate into five earlier this year after he fell out with Emir Sanusi, who he accused of supporting his main rival Abba Kabir Yusuf during the hotly contested governorship election in the state.

The governor had also attempted to suspend the emir after a probe he (Ganduje) had initiated at the Kano Public Complaints and Anti-Corruption Commission (PCACC) indicted the emir on alleged misappropriation of emirate councils funds estimated at over N3 billion.

However, the situation which raised public tension in the state, was doused following the intervention of powerful individuals including Africa’s top business mogul Alhaji Aliko Dangote, Kayode Fayemi and Nasir Elrufai, governors of Ekiti and Kaduna state respectively.

 

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Hajj 2024: Gov Yusuf approves N1.4bn subsidy for 2,900 intending pilgrims

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Hajj

Nasiru Yusuf Ibrahim

The Kano State Governor, Abba Yusuf, has paid N500,000 for each Kano intending pilgrim who will perform this year’s Hajj under the umbrella of the Kano State Pilgrims Welfare Board.

KANO FOCUS reports that the Director General of the Board, Alhaji Lamin Rabiu Dan Baffa, disclose this while briefing journalists on Wednesday.

He said the Kano State Government took the decision with regards to the recent increase of the Hajj fares by the National Hajj Commission of Nigeria which was attributed to the instability of the forex exchange rate.

“We consider the current economic hardship people are facing and the increase of Hajj fares is a great challenge to many intending pilgrims, that’s why we came up with the subsidy initiative to alleviate the sufferings of intending pilgrims,” he said.

Dan Baffa urged all intending pilgrims to ensure that they pay the balance before March 28, 2024, as directed by NAHCON.

The Director General maintained that those to benefit from the Hajj subsidy are those who have already paid part-payment to the board, saying over 2,900 intending pilgrims have already made their part payment with the board.

Recall that early this week, NAHCON announced the increase of Hajj fares with N1,918,032.91, which makes the total Hajj fares N6,617,032.91.

Meanwhile, fresh intending pilgrims are required to pay N8,254,464.74 as the full Hajj fare for this year, as required by NAHCON. Lamin Rabiu Dan Baffa, disclose this while briefing journalists on Wednesday.

He said the Kano State Government took the decision with regards to the recent increase of the Hajj fares by the National Hajj Commission of Nigeria which was attributed to the instability of the forex exchange rate.

“We consider the current economic hardship people are facing and the increase of Hajj fares is a great challenge to many intending pilgrims, that’s why we came up with the subsidy initiative to alleviate the sufferings of intending pilgrims,” he said.

Dan Baffa urged all intending pilgrims to ensure that they pay the balance before March 28, 2024, as directed by NAHCON.

The Director General maintained that those to benefit from the Hajj subsidy are those who have already paid part-payment to the board, saying over 2,900 intending pilgrims have already made their part payment with the board.

Recall that early this week, NAHCON announced the increase of Hajj fares with N1,918,032.91, which makes the total Hajj fares N6,617,032.91.

Meanwhile, fresh intending pilgrims are required to pay N8,254,464.74 as the full Hajj fare for this year, as required by NAHCON.

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Coalition reviews Kano 2024 budget, captured 557 citizens driven projects in education, health sectors

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Nasiru Yusuf Ibrahim

Coalition of Civil Society Organisations, government officials and journalists have identified 557 citizens driven projects in 2024 approved budget.

KANO FOCUS reports that the group shared the findings during a validation session of the 2024 budget analysis held recently in Kano.

Presenting the findings Sulaiman Ismail from Hasken Kano said the state government has approved 426 citizens driven prproject in education sector in 2024 budget with a total value of N61. 01bn representing 13% of the total budget.

He observed that personnel expenditure witnessed a significant increase of 77 % compared to that of 2023 approved budget.

Presenting a paper titled Health Sector Citizens Analysis, Akibu Hamisu of the Kano budget working group pointed out that, the state government had set aside over seventy two billion Naira, representing over 16% of the total budget in health sector.

He said out of the 273 projects designed by the health sector, 131 were identified as citizens driven, 37 projects were allocated to urban communities and 68 were captured under rural communities.

Others who presented findings include Comrade Safiyanu Lawan Bichi and the secretary of the House Standing Committee on Higher Education, Kano State House of Assembly Muhammad Lawal.

In their goodwill messages, Khalid Mustapha from the Kano State Ministry of Planning and Budget (MoPB), described the session as a welcome development.

Umma Muhammad Rakana of PLANE project and Mohammed Jibril from Lafiya commended the collaboration between development partners and Kano State Ministry of Budget and Planning.

Earlier in his welcome address, the state partnership facilitator, PERL FCDO, Yunusa Hamza explained that the session was organized to present and validate findings from the budget analysis conducted by citizens group recently.

KANO FOCUS reports that the sessions ‘ tagged presentation and validation of the citizen’s analysis of the 2024 budget with stakeholders was supported by Partnership to Engage Reform and Learn (PERL) Partnership for Learning for All In Nigeria (PLANE) and Lafiya project.

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Kano Govt approves second term/Ramadan vacation

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Nasiru Yusuf Ibrahim

Kano State Government on Thursday, approved March 28, 2024 as the date for the commencement of 2nd term vacation to all day and boarding public, private primary and post Primary Schools in the state.

KANO FOCUS reports that parents and guardians of pupils and students in the boarding schools are therefore enjoined to convey their wards home on Thursday 28th March, 2024.

A statement issued by the Director Public Enlightenment of the State Ministry of Education Balarabe Abdullahi Kiru explained that boarding schools pupils and students are to resume back to their respective schools for the third term on Sunday 21st April 2024 while the day students are to resume on Monday April 22nd, 2024.

The statement quoted the Commissioner of the ministry Alhaji Umar Haruna Doguwa urging parents to ensure total compliance with the approved resumption date.

Umar Doguwa further, warned that appropriate disciplinary action would be taken against defaulting students.

He however thanked people in the state especially parents for the cooperation and support giving to the ministry, and wished the students successful and hitch free holiday.

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