Headlines
Kano Assembly approves Ganduje ‘s N10bn loan request
Nasiru Yusuf
Kano house of assembly on Wednesday approved a request by Governor Abdullahi Ganduje to obtain another loan of N10 billion.
KANO FOCUS reports that the request was contained in a letter forwarded to the legislative arm by Ganduje which was read on the floor of the House by the speaker Hamisu Ibrahim Chidari.
According to the letter, the loan was to develop optic cyber and install CCTV camera to beef up security across the state.
The Lawmakers argued that, Kano is one of the most peaceful states in the country as such there was the urgent need for government to put modalities in place to protect the state against internal aggression.
After careful deliberations,the house unanimously adopted the bill.
In September 2021 the House has granted Governor Ganduje, an additional N4 billion loan to finance the final phase of Challawa-Goje and Tiga Hydro Electric Power Project.
This is because the earlier N10 billion loan obtained was inadequate for the completion of the projects, as stated by the governor in a letter sent to the Assembly.
In March, 2021 the House has also approved Ganduje’s request to access N20 billion domestic loans to fund capital projects.
The approval followed Ganduje’s request to the state assembly’s access the sum of N20 billion from the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) to execute the Janguza-Durum-Kabo-Karaye road billed at N4.5 billion, the completion of Dangi flyover, the construction of township roads in Rano, Bichi, Gaya and Karaye emirates.
In November 2020, the house of assembly approved a similar N20 billion loan earlier requested by Ganduje. The loan required to fund the public health sector was occasioned by the advent of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Similarly, in March2020, the assembly equally approved Ganduje’s request to access N50 billion domestic debt market to execute infrastructure projects.
According to the available record obtained by KANO FOCUS on Wednesday from the website of the Debt Management Office (DMO), Kano state debt profile as of March 31, 2022 hit N127,847,657,184.82 (Domestic).
Nasiru Yusuf Ibrahim
The government has introduced new guidelines for fee increment.
Kano State Government has prohibited private and voluntary schools from arbitrarily increasing fees and forcing parents to purchase materials directly from the schools.
KANO FOCUS reports that Executive Secretary of the Kano State Private and Voluntary Institution’s Board( KSPVIB,) Comrade Baba Abubakar Umar, gave the warning in an interview with journalists.
The Executive Secretary said that some schools have been taking advantage of parents through hidden charges and exorbitant fees.
He said to address this issue, the board has introduced new guidelines.
According to him, “Schools must convene a Parents-Teachers Association (PTA) meeting to discuss any fee increments”.
He also stated that school must then write to the board seeking approval for the increase, attaching the attendance sheet from the PTA meeting.
He added that”At least two-thirds of parents must be present at the PTA meeting”
Comrade Abubakar dated that, the board has received complaints from parents who were charged excessive fees or amounts different from what was initially agreed upon.
He therefore disclosed that despite the current economic situation, schools must be realistic and fair in their charges.
“The board will work with relevant authorities to prosecute schools that operate illegally or evade taxes”
He however maintained that the board is committed to ensuring that schools provide safe learning environments and employ qualified teachers.
“Parents are encouraged to report any schools with substandard teaching or unsafe conditions”
Comrade Abubakar emphasised that, new census forms will be distributed to private and voluntary schools to ensure accurate data collection and effective monitoring. Saying that the board remains open to dialogue and discussions with schools willing to comply with the law.
He commended Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf for his commitment to education, allocating 30% of the state’s budget to the sector and declaring a state of emergency.
Nasiru Yusuf Ibrahim
The National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) has reported that two people have died and two others were injured following the collapse of a two-storey building in Noman’s Land, Fagge Local Government Area of Kano.
KANO FOCUS reports that the NEMA Coordinator, Kano Territorial Officer, Dr. Nuraddeen Abdullahi, who confirmed the incident on Thursday, said the agency received a distress call around 2:00 a.m. from a Good Samaritan about the building collapse.
Dr. Abdullahi stated, “The agency received a distress call today at about 2:00 a.m. from a Good Samaritan that a two-storey building collapsed in Noman’s Land Quarters, Kano.”
He further said, “Upon receiving the information, we quickly dispatched our rescue team to the scene.”
Dr. Abdullahi added, “Four persons were rescued by our team—a husband, wife, and two children. Unfortunately, the two children were confirmed dead, while the couple were rushed to the Armed Forces Specialist Hospital, Kano, for treatment.”
The NEMA Coordinator also noted that search and rescue operations were still ongoing to find any persons trapped in the building.
Nasiru Yusuf Ibrahim
Kano students from Kano are the top applicants of the student loan scheme, data from the Nigerian Education Loan Fund has revealed.
KANO FOCUS reports that NELFUND, in a data chart posted via its official X handle, @nelfnigeria on Friday, highlighted the number of applicants per state of origin.
According to the data chart, students originally from Kano State topped the list of applicants with 17,122 applicants; Borno followed suit with 13,798 applicants while Benue had 11,754 applicants. The three states were the only states with over 11, 000 applicants.
The implementation of the student loan scheme is President Bola Tinubu’s flagship project in the education sector.
Barely a month after his inauguration as president, Tinubu signed the Access to Higher Education Act, which creates a legal framework for granting loans to indigent or low-income Nigerians to facilitate the payment of their fees in Nigerian tertiary institutions.
The law, reenacted earlier this year, created the Nigerian Education Loan Fund.
NELFUND is saddled with the responsibility of handling all loan requests, grants, disbursement, and recovery.
The fund, according to the act, is to be funded from multiple streams and will engage in other productive activities.
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