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Pantami, Danbatta call for promotion of indigenous digital solutions

Nasiru Yusuf
The Minister of Communications and Digital Economy, Isa Ali Pantami has advocated the need for all stakeholders to join hands with the Ministry and its agencies in promoting the development of indigenous digital solutions.
Kano Focus reports that Mr Pantami made the call during the presentation of N3 million prize money to each of the three promising startups that emerged winners in the COVID-19 Virtual Hackathon organized by the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) in Abuja.
The Virtual Hackathon was initiated by NCC to ignite the Nigerian youths to develop adaptable and innovative digital solutions that can address some of the challenges that have come about as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic.
The start-ups who made it to the top three are Elizade University Team, Primed E-Health Solutions and Cyberfleet.

The Elizade University Team’s tech solution is an Automated Temperature Scanner (ATS), a device designed to conduct automatic temperature screening and contact tracing of persons with body temperature above the normal level for human beings.
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Primed E-Health developed a mobile and web solution called SmartClinic, which can link a patient-based mobile health app with a hospital-based information management system while ‘KlassConnect’ by Cyberfleet is an online platform that can be deployed by schools to continue with teaching and learning activities regardless of any health challenges that may prevent face-to-face physical interactions.
Speaking at the event, Mr Pantami commended the leadership of the NCC for embarking on the tech contest.
He said the initiative is in tandem with the National Digital Economy Policy and Strategy (NDEPS) and aligns with the implementation of the Executive Order 003, which aims to promote indigenous content development and patronage in Nigeria.
“No country will develop without taking deliberate decisions to promote its indigenous solutions to solve national problems.
“Through this contest, the NCC has demonstrated its resolve to drive the Ministry’s efforts in leveraging indigenous digital solutions to address challenges thrown up by COVID-19 pandemic and beyond,” the Minister said.
The COVID-19 Virtual Hackathon is a follow-up to the first hackathon by the NCC, which culminated in the hosting of an ‘ICT Innovation, Competition/Exhibition Forum’ at the Lagos Campus of Digital Bridge Institute (DBI) in December, 2019.
At the end of the maiden edition, three Startups namely, Quataloog, Wicrypt and Phaheem Nigeria Limited emerged winners.
The annual Hackathon is part of the strategic initiatives of the NCC to promote ICT innovation and investment in the Nigerian telecommunications sector and improve the nation’s competitiveness in the global digital economy.
In his remarks at the ceremony, the Executive Vice Chairman of NCC Umar Garba Danbatta, said the hackathon is expected to throw up innovative and adaptable solutions in five thematic areas namely health, community, productivity, economy and education.
Mr Danbatta said the NCC is committed to encourage innovation and has regularly sponsored Nigerian youths with innovative ideas to various competitions organized by the International Telecommunications Union (ITU) and other international bodies.
“The NCC has in the past two years, facilitated similar ICT-based innovations and research competitions among tertiary institutions in the country” he said.
Mr Danbatta added that the NCC is committed to driving indigenous digital innovations to address national challenges.
Director, Research and Development, Henry Nkemadu said the NCC received 282 proposals and shortlisted 56 from which three promising startups emerged winners.
He said the NCC will track the development of their ideas into full-blown products that can be deployed on a commercial basis.
He added that NCC is committed to enabling home-grown digital innovative solutions that improve the quality of lives of the citizenry, create wealth and achieve the overall goals and objectives of the new digital economy agenda of the Federal Government.

Headlines
How we saved billions of public funds by blocking leakages – Gov Yusuf

Nasiru Yusuf Ibrahim
The Kano State Government has said that it has blocked leakages and fraudulent siphons of the public treasury, saying in just a few months in office, Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf has saved billions of Naira.
KANO FOCUS reports that the Government alluded that hundreds of leakages had led to the misuse of public funds by those in authority, while institutions, government offices, and the general well-being of the public suffered neglect.
Delivering an address at the commemoration of the 2023 International Anti-Corruption Day, Saturday, hosted by the Kano State Public Complaints and Anti-Corruption Commission (PCACC), the State Governor Alhaji Abba Kabir Yusuf, represented by his Deputy Governor Aminu Abdussalam Gwarzo says the government has zero tolerance for corruption.
The Deputy Governor, who represented Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf at the event, explained that some of the giant strides taken by the state government towards ensuring a better life for the people of the state are evidence of the fact that it does not tolerate corruption.

He explained that the regime has resumed payment of salaries to civil servants without unnecessary deductions introduced by the immediate past regime.
He added that public properties illegally acquired by individuals in the immediate past regime have been recovered and put to public use, giving an example of the Hasiya Bayero Paediatric Hospital.
He said the government has also prioritized the creation of Anti-Corruption units in government agencies while ensuring it pays pensions and gratuities of retirees neglected by the immediate past regime worth N6 billion.
In his opening address, the chairman of the Kano anti-graft agency, Muhyi Magaji Rimingado described the agency as the most vibrant subnational anti-graft agency in the country.
Muhyi Rimin Gado hints that as of today the State Anti Graft office has become a source of inspiration with many other State Governors seeking technical advice on how to create and sustain their own.
He explained that the day is commemorated with the view of mobilizing the public towards fighting corruption.

Headlines
Kano guber tussle: Tinubu, APC using judiciary to destabilise the northern commercial center, Arewa coalition

Aminu Abdullahi
A pan Arewa movement known as Northern Coalition Youths Movement Initiative (NYMI) has accused President Bola Ahmed Tinubu led administration and the ruling All progressives Congress (APC) of an hidden agenda to destabilize the Northern commercial nerve center in order to weaken the economy of the region.
KANO FOCUS reports that this was disclosed in an elaborate world press conference at Arewa House in Kaduna state on Saturday.

The secretary general of the movement, Comrade Ibrahim Mohammed Inuwa, pointed to series of moves being made by the government to undermine the region using judiciary to subvert the people’s mandate in Kano, Plateau and Zamfara.
He said, in recent times, they have observed with dismay, how the much esteemed judiciary has become the lapdog to the executive arm of government which they said is expected to check as an independent entity.
“Gone are the days when judges dish out logical judgments that are acceptable to the litigants in any disputes. It is however sad that the administration of Pres. Bola Tinubu and APC has resorted to using the judiciary to snatch what it has lost at the ballot.
“Under the APC, the votes of the people no longer count, this is because the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has become an extended part of the ruling party. In a bid to do the bidding of the APC.
“Judiciary has now become the rubber stamp to the massive scale of electoral robbery in the country. Where the INEC fails to award victories to APC candidate, the same courts are the avenue where the victories of the opposition parties are now only arrested but also stolen and given to the APC.
“Nigerians are living witnesses to what is going on in the Court of Appeal with respect to the governorship poll in Kano, Plateau and Zamfara States where the opposition parties have won the state at the ballot box and the attempt by the Federal Government to snatch these states from the winning political parties.
“What is even more embarrassing is the case of Kano where the Court of Appeal is still finding it hard to defend its verdict on the election which many have come to see as very ignoble and horrible. The fact that the verdict is tainted was further shown aa the NNPP try to secure the certified true copy of the judgment revealed the underhand dealings that must have happened with the document revealing contradictory outcomes.
While some paragraphs upheld the election of Gov Abba Kabir Yusuf of the NNPP as duly elected.
“The embarrassment created by the nasty scenario is yet to abate as we address you as the action has further put the judiciary in the negative spot in the minds of right thinking Nigerians who have lost faith in that vital arm of the government.
“The most laughable verdict also is the issue of internal affairs of each political parties which is clearly enshrined in our electoral act and which the supreme court has long settled, yet that is the issue the same judiciary is using to upturn Kano’s mandates which was freely given to NNPP”,
The coalition accused the Tinubu’s government of waging war against leading political lights from the region in a bid to destroy or whittle down their relevance before the poll.
He said the coalition has been monitoring the development for some time, he however urged leaders in the North to live up to their responsibility of protecting the interest of their region.
He added “We wish to draw the attention of the people of the North to an ongoing sinister plot by Pres. Tinubu and the ruling All progressives Congress APC to politically decimate the North and render it impotent ahead of the forthcoming 2027 general election.
“The coalition lamented the fate of the immediate past Governor of Kaduna State, Mallam Nasir el-Rufa’i in the hands of the current government despite the support it gave to President Bola Tinubu during the electioneering campaign.
“One individual whose support and assistance to the emergence of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu is the former Governor of Kaduna State, Mallam Nasir el-Rufa’i who worked on his colleagues in the North to sway victory for President Tinubu.
“What did he get in return? The former governor was rubbished by the government when his nomination was rejected by the Senate during confirmation allegedly on spurious claims of not scaling security screening,” the group wrote.
They also listed those who have been humiliated by the current government include, Senators Danjuma Goje, Abdulazeez Yari.
The statement further reads that “The former Zamfara State Governor was subsequently rubbish by the government when he tried to become the Senate President of the country. He was hounded and cowed to submission by the agents of the government and the state.”
Not done, they added that “Another Northerner who has also been humiliated since coming into being of this governmen

Headlines
Kano governorship: NNPP, APC sign fresh peace accord ahead of supreme court ruling

Nasiru Yusuf Ibrahim
The the New Nigerian Peoples Party (NNPP) and the All Progressives Congress (APC) Friday signed another peace accord ahead of the Supreme Court judgment on Kano governorship election.
KANO FOCUS reports that the parties signed the pact on Friday at Police headquarters Bompai, Kano
Addressing the leadership of the parties the state Commissioner of Police, Usaini Gumel vowed to take stringent measures against any planned protests or anything that would breach the peace being enjoyed in the state.
The warning came as tension had continued to build in the ancient city in anticipation of what would be the outcome of the judgment.

The police boss said the State Joint Security Committee was in place to make sure that anybody under any guise who went against the signed peace accord regretted his action.
He expressed concern that despite the earlier peace agreement signed by the two parties, some faceless groups were hellbent on creating chaos and uncertainty in the city.
“We will not allow anybody, no matter how highly placed in the society to cause disharmony and violence among Kano citizens who are peace-loving people,” he said.
In their separate remarks, the state NNPP chairman, Hashimu Dungurawa, and the state deputy chairman of the APC, Shehu Maigari, disagreed on who was responsible for what happened after the first and second signing of peace accords in the state.
Dungurawa, who accused the APC members of inciting violence, said his party and indeed the state governor, Abba Yusuf, have been working in tandem with security to ensure that peace prevails in the state.
However, Maigari said everyone was aware of who to blame for the loss of lives and the violent protests in the state, adding that his party had nothing to worry about.
