Headlines
It was not our members that booed Pantami–Kwankwasiyya
By Nazifi Dawud
Rabiu Suleiman Bichi, chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Kano has denied reports that members of the Kwankwasiya group, loyal to former governor Rabiu Kwankwaso, were responsible for humiliating Sheikh Isa Ali Pantami, Nigeria’s Minister of Communications at the Kano airport.
Kano Focus recalls that Pantami was booed, heckled and jostled on Tuesday by Kwankwaso’s supporters at the Malam Aminu Kano International Airport (MAKIA), while he was returning to Abuja after paying a condolence visit to Sha’aban Sharada, a member of the House of Representatives, who lost his father.
Sheikh Abdullahi Bala Lau, National Leader of the Jama’atul Izalatil Bid’ah Wa Iqamatis Sunnah (JIBWIS), in his condemnation of the incident asked Rabiu Kwankwaso, leader of the Kwankwasiyya group to call his supporters to order and to apologize publicly to Mr Pantami, who is also an Islamic scholar.
“Our members are peace-loving people who would not cause any breach of peace. But we have opponents who use our identity to cause trouble in order to tarnish our image,” Mr Bichi told BBC Hausa on Thursday.
“We were only at the airport to see off the students we sponsored for postgraduate studies. It was not our members that booed the minister. In fact, it was our supporters that rescued him from the angry youths,” he added
But, a police spokesperson Alabi Josoph, who is in charge of security at MAKIA, contradicted Mr Bichi, insisting that it was Kwankwasiyya members that booed and jostled Mr Pantami.
Mr Alabi, a deputy superintendent of police, told the BBC that it was the police, assisted by other security agencies at the Kano airport, that brought the situation under control.
“About 2:30 pm on 24 September (2019), a group of Kwankwasiyya supporters booed the minister of communications (Mr Pantami), who was at the Malam Aminu Kano airport on his way to Abuja,” he said.
“The minister was at the airport at the same time with the Kwankwassiya members who were also there to see off about 200 students that were traveling for studies abroad. That was when they booed the minister until security agents intervened and promptly brought the situation under control,” Mr Alabi added.
The 2023 Presidential candidate of the New Nigerian Peoples Party (NNPP), Dr. Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso, has debunked reaching a resolution with any individual on the trending defection rumoured to the ruling party or any other political party.
KANO FOCUS reports that Kwankwaso, who considered the recent statement credited to have suggested a particular position as an imagination of falsehood and fragmentation of political mischief against him.
A statement posted on his official X handle @KwankwasoRM, the ex-Governor insisted he has since refrained from commenting on contemporary political events, and will continue to do so for the time being.
In the said false information that went viral, Kwankwaso was quoted to have revealed a meeting with President Bola Tinubu on multiple occasions, urging him to return to the APC fold.
Responding to a statement purportedly signed by one Ibrahim Rabiu, Sen. Kwankwaso insisted he had never signed or authorised any statement to be issued on his behalf.
“My attention has been drawn to a statement purportedly stating my position on the recurring political realignments. I wish to categorically state that such statements are false, unfounded, and products of political mischief.
“I have refrained from commenting on contemporary political events, and I will continue to do so for the time being.”
” I urge the public to only engage statements that come from my public handles and other official sources”. Kwankwaso RM.”
In a releted development, the author of the purported false statement Ibrahim Rabiu has issued a self counter, denouncing the statement as a work of devil.
“I Ibrahim Rabiu, wish to inform the general public that I was never authorised by Sen. Rabiu Kwankwaso to issue and release a statement on his belhalf”
“I therefore wish to tender a public apology to his person with a promise that such childish act will never be repeated in the future, please find a space in your heart to forgive me, I was misled by fake news and agents of misinformation”
The Emir of Kano, Khalifa Muhammad Sunusi II, commended the Adolescent Girls Initiatives for Learning and Empowerment (AGILE) Project for reenrolling over 30,000 adolescent girls and renovating more than 1,300 schools across the state.
KANO FOCUS reports that the Emir made the commendation while reeiving AGILE State Project Implementation Unit (SIPU) who paid him an advocacy visit recently.
Khalifa Muhammadu Sanusi ll
He emphasized the Kano Emirate Council’s commitment to advocating for education and pledged continued support to ensure the enrollment, retention, transition, and completion of girls’ education in Kano.
The Emir also emphasized the importance of collaboration and synergy in implementing policies and programs that foster the development of the state and the nation at large.
AGILE Project Coordinator presenting gift to Emir of Kano
He expressed satisfaction with the AGILE project’s strong monitoring and evaluation framework, particularly in tracking the use of grants and conditional cash transfers.
In his remarks, the Kano State AGILE Coordinator, Malam Mujtapha Aminu said more than 100,000 students are currently enrolled in learning centers across 23 local government areas under the Adolescent Girls’ Initiative for Learning and Empowerment (AGILE) second chance education in Kano.
AGILE PC and Emir of Kano
He said this initiative provides out-of-school adolescent girls an opportunity to complete their secondary education, gain entrepreneurship and life skills.
According to him, the second chance education students undergo literacy, numeracy, and entrepreneurship training across 5,000 learning centers.
Athletes who participated in AGILE WEEK Games
He further explained that after nine months of instruction, the students sit for examinations and are awarded certificates equivalent to the Junior Secondary School Certificate.
“Those who enroll in the advanced literacy program also have the opportunity to sit for national examinations such as NECO and WAEC,” he added.
He said they visited the Emir’andalace to seek blessings and advocate for support to achieve their goals.
AGILE Communications Officer and games officials
The AGILE Project is a World Bank-assisted initiative implemented through Federal and State Ministries of Education, aimed at improving secondary education opportunities for adolescent girls in Nigeria.
The gale of defection from opposition political parties intensifies as two members of the opposition New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP), Abdullahi Sani Rogo and Kabiru Alhassan Rurum, have defected to the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).
KANO FOCUS reports that both lawmakers represent Rano/Bunkure/Kibiya and Karaye/Rogo federal constituency of Kano State.
Both lawmakers announced their defection at plenary presided over by Speaker Abbas Tajudeen.
On hand to witness the defection on the floor of the House was the national chairman of the APC, Dr. Abdullahi Umar Ganduje, accompanied by some members of the national working committee of the party.
However, the Minority Whip, Isa Ali JC, faulted the defection of the lawmakers on the basis that it was against constitutional provisions.
As of Thursday, no fewer than 30 members of opposition political parties have dumped their parties to join the APC.
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