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774,000 Jobs: Kano committee allocates 10% to politicians
Nasiru Yusuf
The Kano state selection committee for the Special Public Works in local government areas has allocated 4,400 (10%) of 44,000 job slots to politicians.
Kano Focus reports that the publicity secretary of the committee Abubakar (Janaral) Muhammad disclosed this on Monday in an exclusive interview.
He said the allocation was to address politicians’ interference in the selection processes.
“We have commenced the distribution of 10% of 44,000 forms to politicians because we don’t want interference in the selection process.
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“These politicians include the governor, his deputy, senators, members of House of Representatives, House of Assembly members, local government chairmen, councilors and supervisory councilors.
“They are not diverting the forms somewhere else as they are expected to distribute them to their people at the local level.
Mr Muhammad said the formula is the same nationwide as the federal government has directed all state committees to allocate 10% to politicians.
He said the Kano state committee has constituted local government committees which consist of traditional rulers, clerics and community based organizations to monitor the selection process.
According to him the committee will on Monday commence the distribution of the forms to interested unemployed applicants who will undergo a thorough screening, and subsequently select the most qualified candidates.
The Special Public Works program seeks to employ about 774, 000 youths for three months and they would be engaged in unskilled jobs such as sweeping streets, clearing drainage, controlling traffic and road construction among others.
The pilot program was approved by President Muhammad Buhari to mitigate lack of job opportunities in the rural areas through a short-term engagement of one thousand unemployed persons per Local Government Area for a period of three months.
The enrollees will be given N20,000.00 monthly for a period of three months.
Members of the National Assembly had earlier expressed concern over modalities adopted by the federal ministry of labor for selecting the beneficiaries.
However, the minister of state for labor Festus Keyamo accused the federal legislators for attempting to hijack the process despite having 15% of 774,000 job slots allocated to them.
Mr Keyamo has refused to explain to lawmakers the modalities he had adopted to carry out the recruitment process and why he was not carrying the National Directorate for Employment (NDE) along.
The minister explained that the Act that established the NDE gave his ministry powers to oversee the affairs and programs of the agency.
Aminu Abdullahi
The Minister of Finance, Budget and National Planning, Dr. Zainab Ahmed, has suspended the embattled Accountant-General of the Federation, Ahmed Idris, from office over his alleged involvement in N80billion fraud being investigated by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).
KANO FOCUS reports that Idris was arrested on Monday by the operatives of the anti-graft agency over alleged diversion of funds and money laundering activities to the tune of N80billion.
He was arrested after failing to honour invitations by the EFCC to respond to issues connected to the fraudulent acts.
EFCC spokesperson, Wilson Uwujaren, in a statement, had said the commission’s verified intelligence showed that the AGF raked off the funds through bogus consultancies and other illegal activities using proxies, family members and close associates.
He said the funds were laundered through real estate investments in Kano and Abuja.
Nasiru Yusuf
The Nigeria’s meteorological agency, NiMet, has forecast moderate to heavy rainfall within the next three days in Kano.
KANO FOCUS reports that NiMet announced this in its weather advisory on Tuesday.
“As a result of the expected moderate to heavy rainfall in the next three days, there are chances of flash flooding of roads and low-lying settlements,” the agency said.
It added that “there could be disruption of traffic due to flooded or closed roads, reduction in visibility, likely damage to mud houses and possible disruption in flight operations.”
The rain is expected to be accompanied by strong winds, lightning and thunder, hence the falling of weak buildings and displacement of makeshift structures are likely, NiMet said.
Hence, it advised the public to exercise restraint, disconnect electrical appliances before, not during the storm, and avoid standing or parking cars under trees as much as possible.
NiMet urges emergency agencies to be prepared and keep monitoring to avoid low-level areas and fast-flowing runoff waters.
It also advised the public to be prepared for these events to avoid damage from rain-related hazards.
Nasiru Yusuf
Vice President Yemi Osinbajo has visited the scene of Kano explosive where he commiserated with the government and people of Kano state over the gas and explosion at Sabon Gari area of the state capital.
KANO FOCUS reports that the Vice president arrived at the scene of the explosion in company of Governor Abdullahi Umar Ganduje.
Osinbajo during the visit to the scene of the incident expressed shock that little school children were among those injured.
The Vice President who described the incident as devastating, sympathised with the victims and enjoined relevant authorities to take preventive measures against future occurrence.
He prayed for the repose of the souls of those who lost their lives and quick recovery of injured victims.
The Vice President and governor Ganduje were received and briefed by the Commissioner of Police Kano Command Sama’ila Shu’aibu Dikko.
Governor Abdullahi Umar Ganduje thanked the vice president for the concern and pledged medical and financial support to victims of the explosion.
The Vice President was in Kano to meet APC delegates ahead of party’s primary elections.
At least nine people are confirmed to have died in an explosion in the Sabon Gari area of Kano state on Tuesday morning.
The National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) in a statement said nine corpses have been recovered from the scene of the explosion.
NEMA’s spokesperson, Manzo Ezekiel, said the Director-General, Mustapha Habib, who visited the scene of the explosion, coordinated the rescue operations.
Mr Ezekiel said: “Nine dead bodies have been recovered so far from the rubbles of a collapsed building beside a primary school following explosions from a gas cylinder at Aba Road in Sabon Gari area of Kano.
“Director-General National Emergency Management Agency, Mustapha Habib Ahmed, was at the site of the incident and coordinated the rescue operations.
“He mobilised excavators being used for the rescue operations and said NEMA team will ensure complete removal of the rubbles to retrieve all trapped persons.
“Furthermore, the DG instructed the NEMA rescue team to remain at the site until the conclusion of the rescue and to work together with security agencies and other response organisations present at the location.
“NEMA is presently coordinating the rescue operations involving members, Nigerian Red Cross, military, the Nigerian Police, Nigerian Security and Civil Defense Corps, Kano SEMA, the official statement said.
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