Headlines
Kano sets up screening committee on International Islamic organisations

Nasiru Yusuf
Kano state government has constituted a screening committee on humanitarian activities by international Islamic religious foundations operating in the state.
KANO FOCUS reports that the state commissioner for Information, Muhammad Garba disclosed this on Sunday while addressing newsmen on the outcome of the weekly council meeting held at the Africa House, Government House, Kano.
Garba said the committee is to produce template on the regulation and operation of such foundations that are being run by some individual, clerics or organizations and making impact on the development of the state in the area of education, water supply, building schools, mosques, orphanage welfare and other religious activities.
The state commissioner indicated that the measure would ensure documentation of such organizations for proper monitoring, evaluation and assessment.

Mr Garba said the screening committee would also establish the legitimacy of such international organisations, examine their profile, registration certificates, contacts attachment and source of funding.
He said the committee is to be chaired by the Chief Imam of Kano, Sani Zaharaddeen while the state commissioner for religious affairs, Muhammad Tahar Adam will serve as co-chair.
According to him the composition of the committee has representatives from the Qadiriyya, IZala and Tijjaniyya sects, the state police command, Department of State Service, Nigeria Immigration Service, Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps and Nigeria Vigilante Group.
The rest are Muslim Lawyers Association, Bureau for Land Management, Kano state Urban Planning and Development Authority, Ministries of Justice, Education and that of Health as well as the Emirate Council.
Kano to complete long abandoned N7bn road project
Mr Garba said Kano Executive Council has given approval for the completion of the multi-million naira long abandoned Janguza-Durum-Kabo-Karaye Road awarded in 2010.
He said the contract for the road project, which was initially awarded by the administration of Ibrahim Shekarau at the cost of N3, 424, 010, 877.00 billion had to be reviewed to N7, 020, 139, 700.55 billion, based on the scope of work from two coat layer surface dressing to asphaltic concrete wearing course.
He said the while the contractor accepted the new price and re-mobilized to site and works progress, the ministry of Works and Infrastructure noted the financial constraint of the state, coupled with the COVID-19 pandemic effects on the global economy and re-scope the project from asphaltic concrete surfacing back to two-coat surface dressing and therefore re-scoped the project and put it at the sum of N5, 605, 424, 417.44 billion.
Garba further explained that the council, however, rejected the proposed downward review of project cost which reflected a reduction of over two billion naira in order to allow for the execution of quality job and also to take care of the prevailing escalation in the prices of construction materials.
The commissioner pointed out that the project would be jointly finance between the state government and benefitting local government councils of Kabo, Karaye and Rimin Gado on 50-50 bases contribution.
Garba also announced the council’s ratification of approval for the award of contract for the construction of Ganduje-Landigel-Jalli Road at the cost of N863, 148, 176.40 million.
Another approval, he said, include the sum of N89, 952, 927.65 million for the provision of facial recognition system at both domestic and international wings of Malam Aminu Kano International Airport as part of effort to strengthen security and contend with the global best practices on counter terrorism and detection on highly profiled criminal on watch list.
The commissioner further revealed that the approval has also been given by the council for the award of contract for the provision of flood control measures at Bichi Area Command of the Nigeria Police Force at the sum of N42, 643, 899.58 million.
He said the following approvals were also given by the council for the facilitation of additional structures at Government Secondary School Unguwar Rimi in Tofa local government at the cost of N25, 176, 081.18 million; release of N49, 994, 364.22 million for repairs and renovation of dilapidated structures at Government Secondary School Kiru Yamma in Kiru local government and renovation and repairs of burnt structure caused by fire incidence at Government Science Secondary School Dawakin Kudu at the contract sum of N24, 710, 026.22 million.
The commissioner added that the council has approved the release of N17, 935, 050.00 million to facilitate payment of 2019 book/project allowance for the 350 bonded medical students.

Headlines
Demolition: Kano govt appeals N30bn compensation judgement

Nasiru Yusuf Ibrahim
The Kano State Government has appealed a Federal High Court judgement that ordered it to pay N30 billion as compensation to some traders for the demolition of their shops.
KANO FOCUS reports that a Federal High Court sitting in Kano and presided over by Justice Simon Anogede, had, while delivering judgement in the case filed by the Traders Association, said what the government did was barbaric and unconstitutional.

The court however awarded N30 billion as compensation to the traders, instead of the N250 billion they demanded from the government.
However, the Kano State government says it has appealed the judgement, which it described as miscarriage of justice.
Barrister Haruna Isa Dederi, the State Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice, explained that the court was not right in awarding judgement to the Traders Association because the Land Use Act is clear on the position of lands in every state.
He insisted that the court lacked the jurisdiction to even listen to the case because government is the sole owner of land, according to the Land Use Act.

Headlines
ACReSAL plans to increase city parks to 50 in Kano, laments indiscriminate felling of trees

Nasiru Yusuf Ibrahim

The Kano Agro-Climatic Resilience in Semi-Arid Landscapes (ACReSAL), has said that it will increase city parks to 50 in Kano.
KANO FOCUS reports that the Project Coordinator Dr Dahiru Muhammad Hashim made this known while addressing newsmen on Thursday in Kano.
He said the project is planning to recover and restore lost landscapes arising from natural causes and human activities.
”We are committed to addressing the environmental challenges that affect the state such as climate change, drylands, erosion and flooding, land degradation, and issues that affect the livelihood of communities which is mainly agriculture.
”The ACReSAL project is anchored on four broad components that speak essentially to the demand of the poor whose livelihoods have been distressed,” he said.
Hashim also said that the ACReSAL project has drilled solar-powered boreholes and established tree nurseries in some local government areas of the state.
He said that the intervention would boost agriculture and improve the standard of living of the people while the tree nurseries would help to combat desertification and soil erosion.
He expressed the commitment of the state in improving and protecting the Kano environment with priority and attention to the sector on issues of biodiversity conservation and restoration of degraded lands.
“ACReSAL plans to undertake Erosion control work in Rarin, Dawakin Tofa and Bulbula/Gayawa, Nassarawa, and Ungogo Local government areas.
“Construction of water conservation structure and provision of minor irrigation facilities in ‘Yartiti, Shanono, and construction of water conservation structure and provision of minor irrigation facilities in Fajewa, Takai Local government area.
“Establishment of 100ha individual farmer orchards and Woodlot plantations, 200ha of woodlot in communal forests and institutional plantings.
“440ha farmer-managed natural regeneration of indigenous tree species on individual farmlands and communal forests and promotion of climate-smart agriculture through FLID and CRF among others,” he said
KANO FOCUS reports that the World Bank’s 700 million dollar ACReSAL project is being implemented in collaboration with the federal government and the 19 northern states and the FCT was recently officially launched in Bauchi by Gov. Bala Mohammed, thus becoming the first among the participating states to unveil the project implementation.
The ACreSAL project is embarked on by the Federal Government to build community resilience as well as improve the sustainable productivity of its natural resources in Bauchi, Borno, Gombe, Jigawa, Kano, Katsina, Kebbi, Sokoto, Yobe, Zamfara, Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Benue, Nasarawa, Kogi, Plateau, Adamawa, Taraba, Niger, Kwara, and Kaduna.
These northern states including the FCT, the federal government said are faced by rapid desert encroachment ranging from severe to moderate and marginal.
Other incentives of the project are the strengthening of the environment for integrated climate-resilient landscape management, fighting issues surrounding desertification, drought, landscape degradation, and deprivation at community levels as well as resuscitating the sectors of agriculture, environment, and water resources.

Headlines
Kano NIPR conducts AGM, Public Lecture

The Nigerian Institute of Public Relations NIPR Kano Chapter has set to elect new leadership of the institution in Kano during its annual general meeting
KANO FOCUS reports that this was contained in a statement issued by Mahmud Ibrahim Kwari the instituted’s Kano branch chairman publicity sub-committee on Friday.
Mr Kwari said during the AGM a public lecture will be presented on the importance of Artificial intelligence (AI)
The event will be held today (Friday) the 29th of September, 2023 at the Tahir Guest Palace Kano.
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The theme of the event is “Artificial Intelligence and Spin-Doctoring in Public Relations Practice in Nigeria: Prospects and Challenges”
The lecture will be presented by Professor Abdalla Uba Adamu of the Faculty of Communications, Bayero University.

Also, the l public relations expert and the publisher of PRNigeria Malam Yushau Shuaibu will discuss the paper.
The Emir of Kano Alhaji Aminu Ado Bayero who chaired the contact and mobilization sub-committee of the event will be the royal father at the occasion.
Similarly, Former Kano state Governor, Senator Ibrahim Shekarau will chair the Occasion while the president of the Nigerian Institute of Public Relations Mr. Ike Neliaku, and the immediate past president of the Institute, Malam Mukhtar Zubair Siraj are expected to be in attendance.
