Headlines
Bashir Tofa buried amidst tears, Ganduje, Badaru send condolences
Nasiru Yusuf
The former presidential candidate under defunct National Republican Convention (NRC) in 1993 Bashir Tofa was buried amidst tears in Kano.
KANO FOCUS reports that the funeral prayer was led by chairman of Kano state Shari’ah commission Sayyadi Bashir Tijjani Usman Zangon Bare-Bari at the resident of Late Tofa located at Gandun Albasa in Kano metropolis.
The funeral prayer was attended by Emir of Kano Aminu Ado Bayero, former governor of Kano state Ibrahim Shekarau, former minister Sabo Nanono, former Special Adviser to former President Sani Abacha and hundreds of mourners.
Late Tofa died in the early hours of Monday at the age of 74 after a protracted illness.
Mr Tofa was the presidential candidate of the National Republican Convention (NRC) in the June 12, 1993 election considered one of Nigeria’s freest elections.
Born in Kano on June 20, 1947, Mr Tofa had his primary education at Shahuci Junior Primary, Kano and continued at City Senior Primary School in Kano. From 1962 to 1966, he attended Provincial College, Kano.
After completing his studies at the Provincial school, he worked for Royal Exchange Insurance company from 1967 to 1968. From 1970 to 1973, he attended City of London College.
Mr Tofa’s sojourn into politics started in 1976 when he was a councillor of Dawakin Tofa Local Government Council. In 1977, he was elected a member of the Constituent Assembly.
During Nigeria’s Second Republic, Mr Tofa was at various times the secretary of the Kano branch of the then ruling party, NPN. He later became the party’s national financial secretary and was a national member of the Green Revolution National Committee.
During the Third Republic, he was part of the Liberal Movement which metamorphosed to the Liberal Convention when it was not registered as a political party. Mr Tofa joined NRC in 1990.
In 1993, when the Ibrahim Babangida administration introduced the Option A4 system, Mr Tofa was elected the presidential candidate of the NRC. During the party primaries, he defeated Pere Ajunwa, John Nwodo and Dalhatu Tafida to clinch the NRC ticket. At the time, his running mate in the election was Sylvester Ugoh, a former governor of the now-defunct central bank of Biafra. Both were members of the defunct National Party of Nigeria (NPN).
Mr Tofa was also a businessman and an industrialist. He was chairman of International Petro-Energy Company (IPEC) and Abba Othman and Sons Ltd. He was also involved as a board member in Impex Ventures, Century Merchant Bank and General Metal Products Ltd.
Mr Tofa, based in Kano, is known for publicly airing his view on issues of national interest.
In February 2021, he published an article on PREMIUM TIMES titled: “The Need To Act Now To Stop the Ethnic Conflagration!”
“There is clearly a nefarious plan by the enemies of this potentially great country to initiate a violent crisis that may lead to its destruction,” he wrote in the article.
Ganduje, Badaru mourn Tofa
Governor Abdullahi Umar Ganduje has mourn the death of late Tofa, whose contributions to Nigeria’s democracy, he said, remained indelible.
In a statement signed by the commissioner for Information, Malam Muhammad Garba, the governor noted the sacrifices of Tofa, who started taking up leadership responsibilities at an early age, when he was elected councilor in Tofa in his late 20s, and remaining vibrant and dynamic up till the time of his death.
He said as a businessman, trader and philanthropist, Tofa touched the life of many people, especially the down-trodden, and expressed the belief that the legacies of the deceased will be approximated for posterity.
“The legacy of his political beliefs and triumphs will be important footnotes in the literature of Nigeria’s government and politics for generations yet to come.
“He was a great man, a quintessential democrat and outstanding statesman who has left very hold prints both on the politics and political history of Nigeria, “the statement added.
The governor prayed Almighty Allaht grant his soul Aljannah Firdausi and the fortitude for his family, friends and associates to bear the irreparable loss.
Also Governor Muhammad Badaru Abubakar of Jigawa State has sent a condolence message to the family of late Tofa over the death of the former Presidential Candidate of the National Republican Convention NRC during the annulled third Republic.
Governor Badaru said he was saddened with the news of the death of Tofa who he described as a statesman, an industrialist, politician as well as community leader who as a member of the Constituent Assembly contributed a lot in drafting the 1979 constitution lived and died in the service of humanity.
The Governor says his death is a great loss not only to his family but the nation in general He pray to Almighty Allah to forgive his shortcomings and grant him eternal rest and the family the fortitude to bear the loss.
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.
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.
,
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.
Abuja Transport Workers Weep, Protest MD’s Removal
Demolition: Kano govt appeals N30bn compensation judgement
ACReSAL plans to increase city parks to 50 in Kano, laments indiscriminate felling of trees
Kano NIPR conducts AGM, Public Lecture
Dangote Group trains Northwest journalists on digital journalism
Tricycle rider returns missing ₦15m to Chadian passenger in Kano
Kano govt refutes rumour alleging grabbing land at Rijiyar Zaki motor park
Abba Kabir Yusuf appoints 14 Special Advisers, 44 Social Media Reporters
Just in: Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf appoints 57 additional Aides
