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Drivers protest in Kano after KAROTA officials damage trailer’s tyres
By Mukhtar Yahya Usman
Angry drivers on Friday used many long trucks to barricade the eastern bypass thoroughfare on Yankaba-Hotoro area in protest after some officials of the Kano Road and Traffic Agency (KAROTA) used deflation device to puncture tyres of a trailer.
The incident is coming just six days after a KAROTA official, Abdurrahman Bayero, was crushed to death by a trailer driver around the same area.
Kano Focus reports that trouble started after the three KAROTA operatives stopped a truck driver who was just entering the city and demanded payment of revenue.
But the driver, Rabiu Ali, reportedly refused to pay the money, saying he had already made the same payment to other KAROTA personnel before arriving at that point.
Mr Ali also produced a receipt as evidence to support his claim, according to eyewitnesses.
However, it was learnt that the traffic officials, rejected the receipt and insisted that the trucker must make a fresh payment, a demand he also refused.
Angry with Mr Ali, who has since started driving away, the KAROTA operatives pushed a deflation device in his path, which immediately shredded and damaged three of the vehicle’s tires.
Outraged by the traffic officials’ act, Mr Ali, abandoned the vehicle in the middle of the road in protest, the witnesses said.
“The driver refused to pay and tried to move but one of the three KAROTA officials pushed a huge metal spike in his path. The vehicle drove over the spikes which burst three of its tires. That’s why the driver blocked the road,” an eyewitness Ibrahim Abdullahi said.
It was gathered that other truckers plying the road soon joined the fray and also switched of their vehicles, causing a heavy traffic gridlock which lasted for over five hours in the area, putting many vehicle owners in distress.
The protesters vowed not to vacate the road until the KAROTA officials responsible for damaging the truck’s tires were arrested.
But another eyewitness Abubakar Muhammed said Mr Ali had already agreed to make another payment of N2,000 to the KAROTA officials and was trying to park, when his tires were damaged.
“He was trying to park but the KAROTA officials thought he was attempting to run that’s why they threw him a big metal with nails that punctured his tires and quickly ran away,” he said.
However KAROTA spokesperson Nabilisi Abubakar Kofar Na’isa denied the allegations against the agency’s personnel.
He said the traffic officials tried to stop the affected truck for a search but the driver refused to stop, compelling them to use a deflation device to force him to stop.
“As you know every truck that comes to Kano must be searched to see what the truck is carrying. This was what we tried to do but the driver resisted.
“Our personnel had shown him the deflation device and threatened to use it but he still ignored the warning and they had to use it to deflate his tires. The driver then abandoned the vehicle and caused a traffic snarl,” Mr Kofar Na’isa said.
He added that the matter had been reported to the police for investigation.
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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