Headlines
Daurawa calls for preaching censorship law
Nasiru Yusuf
A renowned Kano based Islamic scholar Aminu Daurawa has appealed to Northern governors to enact laws that will regulate Islamic and Christian preaching.
Mr Daurawa made the appeal in an interview with BBC Hausa monitored by Kano Focus on Saturday.
He attributed the religious crises being experienced in the region to unguarded utterances of some clerics.
“It is been my opinion for long that we preachers should be screened.
“Is the cleric qualified to preach?
“It is this lack of screening exercise that causes the religious crises we are experiencing.
“Any cleric who abuses people in his preaching is a thug,” he said.
Mr Daurawa who is a former Commander General of Kano state Hisbah Board said media organizations should censor the scholars they grant access to their platforms.
He however acknowledged that most scholars do not support his position.
“I have been calling for censoring preaching, but I’ve failed to get the support of my fellow clerics.”
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Islam forbids begging
Mr Daurawa said begging is forbidden in Islam.
He explained that Islam permits begging only when a person loses all his belongs due to theft, fire, or similar disasters.
Mr Daurawa however blamed government for allowing begging to persist.
“It is the failure of governors that begging and Qur’anic schools are yet to be transformed.”
“There is serious poverty in rural areas, which forces parents to send their children to cities – therefore sensitization campaign alone will not solve the problem.” He said.
The cleric however faulted the banning of Qur’anic schools despite his advocacy for the eradication of begging.
Wrong to return pupils home
Mr Daurawa said he is against taking Qur’anic pupils back to their states of origin.
“The government’s failure to consult Islamic scholars on how to reform Qur’anic education led Northern Nigeria to this problem.
“It was reported that there are nine million Qur’anic pupils in Northern Nigeria, what is government plan for them?
“How much is being appropriated to them from Nigeria’s allocation? “You see, they get nothing,” he said.
The cleric said the solution is to copy from other Muslim countries who have modernized their Qur’anic schools.
Mr Daurawa therefore emphasized the need for government and citizens to differentiate between begging and Qur’anic education.
I was not diagnosed with COVID-19
The cleric has also commented on his recent sickness which led to his disappearance during the month of Ramadan.
He said it wasn’t COVID-19.
“It is a life routine, to be sick, and also recover.
“I was really sick as I was diagnosed with malaria, typhoid fever and cough,” Mr Daurawa said.
Headlines
Gov. Yusuf names Dr. Aminu Magashi Technical Adviser for Kano’s humanitarian and poverty alleviation ministry
Mukhtar Yahya Usman
In a landmark decision to strengthen Kano State’s humanitarian and poverty alleviation efforts, Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf has named Dr. Aminu Magashi Garba as the Technical Adviser for the Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Alleviation.
The appointment, effective September 28, 2024, was announced by the governor’s spokesperson, Sunusi Bature Dawakin Tofa on Tuesday.
Governor Yusuf emphasized Dr. Magashi’s impressive credentials, highlighting his decades-long dedication to public service and his commitment to improving the lives of Kano’s underserved communities.
The governor’s choice reflects his deep trust in Dr. Magashi’s extensive experience and proven leadership, recognizing him as a pivotal figure in achieving the administration’s humanitarian goals.
Dr. Magashi, with over 30 years in development and humanitarian work, is well-regarded for his influential initiatives.
His notable roles include serving as Chair of the AMG Foundation, leading the Health Policy and Planning Committee of the Nigerian Medical Association, and being the pioneering coordinator of the Kano State Cancer Care Center.
His strategic insights and leadership were also vital as Chairman of the health transition committee, where he collaborated closely with Governor Yusuf to craft a transformative agenda for Kano State’s healthcare future.
He also led the technical committee which supported Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf to develop his campaign blueprint in 2022.
With this appointment, Kano State gains a dedicated advisor whose perseverance, humility, and honesty have defined his career.
Dr. Magashi is expected to guide the ministry in developing impactful strategies that address the pressing needs of Kano’s communities, laying the foundation for a more compassionate, resilient future for all.
Mukhtar Yahya Usman
The Kano State Government has publicly denied recent claims that it borrowed N177 billion from France.
Speaking at a press conference, Dr. Hamisu Sadi Ali, Director General of the Kano State Public Debt Management Office, clarified that no new loans have been taken since Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf took office in May 2023.
The allegations, originally reported by local media, suggested that the funds were recently secured from a French lender.
The debt office condemned the report as “malicious” and “politically motivated,” clarifying that it mistakenly links a 2018 loan agreement from the previous administration, led by Dr. Abdullahi Umar Ganduje, with the current government.
Dr. Hamisu noted that the 2018 agreement was a 64 million-euro loan from the French Development Agency, intended for the Third National Urban Water Sector Reform Project, and was not associated with the present administration.
In an effort to promote transparency, the state government shared an overview of Kano’s existing debt portfolio, which includes several longstanding foreign loans, such as the Multi-state Road Project and the Malaria Control Booster Project, some dating back to 1992.
Dr. Hamisu also outlined domestic loans totaling billions, contracted by the previous administration under the APC.
The current government highlighted its commitment to debt reduction, announcing that it has already repaid over N63.5 billion in debt in 2024, reducing Kano State’s overall debt to N127.8 billion.
Dr. Hamisu urged the public to disregard the “fake and misleading” report and encouraged media organizations to focus on accurate, investigative journalism.
He underscored the importance of responsible reporting to maintain public trust and informed civic engagement.
KANO FOCUS reporter Ms Zulaiha Danjuma has been selected alongside 44 other journalists from Benin, Togo, Nigeria and Ghana for the second edition of the Digital Public Infrastructure (DIP) fellowship.
KANO FOCUS reports the DPI fellowship is an initiative by the Media Foundation for West Africa (MFWA) in partnership with Co-develop.
A total of 45 journalists from Nigeria, Togo, Benin and Ghana were selected from 45 News organizations after months of rigorous selection processes.
The fellowship is a three-month programme running from November to January 2025, followed by a three-month post-fellowship period for the production of special reports on Digital Public Infrastructure (DPI) and Digital Public Goods (DPGs).
MFWA’s fellowship seeks to equip participants with skills to create impactful reports on topics such as national digital identification systems, online data security, and digital governance; through specialized workshops, mentorship, and hands-on story production.
Ms Danjuma’s selection for the Digital Public Infrastructure (DPI) fellowship recalibrates *Kano Focus* commitment to growth and knowledge gathering of staffs.
About the Reporter
Ms Zulaiha Danjuma is a dedicated journalist who has produced impactful Investigative stories on government accountability, health and gender based violence.
In 2023, she carried out a groundbreaking investigation on multifaceted illegal tax extortion, forgery and corruption. In 2024, her report of poor budgetary allocation to Hepatitis B successfully brought the attention of the state government, resulting in commitment to provide additional resources for addressing the issue.
Other DPI fellows
Ten fellows were selected from Ghana and Benin, and five fellows from Togo respectively. Nigeria had a total of twenty journalists selected to be part of the second Phase II of the Media Foundation for West Africa (MFWA) Fellowship.
Pictures of all fellows:
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