News
Education best investment for politicians – Kwankwaso
Nasiru Yusuf
The presidential candidate of New Nigeria Peoples Party, Rabiu Kwankwaso, on Monday, said education was the best investment for any politician.
KANO FOCUS reports that the former governor of Kano State stated this in Abuja during a colloquium organised by the Kwankwasiyya Development Foundation to mark his 66th birthday with the theme, ‘Democracy and good Governance in Nigeria: The legacy of Dr. Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso.’
While specifically reeling out his humanitarian achievements especially in the area of education, he said the kind of leadership he would provide the nation if elected in 2023 would be totally different from what the other political parties had offered.
According to him, his political group was concerned about the general development of the nation.
At the event, the vice presidential candidate of the NNPP, Archbishop Isaac Idahosa, dismissed the recent prediction by Fitch, a global rating company, that the presidential candidate of the ruling All Progressives Congress, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, may win the 2023 presidential election.
He described the Fitch report and the outcomes of other poll surveys ahead of the forthcoming elections as fake and “paid for”, saying the NNPP would spring surprises nationwide, going by the political structures and alliances it was building across the country.
Kwankwaso said, “I’m happy to say that in the 2019 elections in Kano, we (the Kwankwasiyya Movement) had no governor, no minister, no serving or former member (House of Representatives). We had just these young men and women and we were able to win our election for the governorship.
“And that was why I was encouraged to create the scholarship scheme for our young men and women. When we advertised in 2019, believing that there are few people who are first class, we exhausted them in Kano. Second-class upper – we exhausted them. We went on to second-class lower levels when I left government in 2015.
“We had over 3000 of them going to 14 countries across the world. I’m also happy that we sponsored students into private universities in Nigeria. More than 412 benefited and over 3000 were sent abroad. They are in different sets all sponsored by the Kwankwasiyya Foundation.
“I feel the best investment for any politician is education because I was trained in Kano, in northern Nigeria. And Nigeria can only grow if we have educated people. When I was governor, we were able to feed our children in primary schools, return them to school.
“I realised that I had a few things that I didn’t need, and I had to sell almost all things that I didn’t directly require for myself to pay for the scholarships.
“Our scholarship was not only for Kano indigenes. It was for residents, people who are living in Kano because we believe in the fact that where you live is your home.
“Today, they have an association of those who collected our uniforms in primary schools. They are in millions,” I thank all my brothers and sisters, my friends across the countrymen who supported the foundation.”
Nasiru Yusuf Ibrahim
Nafisah Yusuf Hassan, a magistrate in Kano State, has been recommended for appointment as a judge of the Kano State High Court by the National Judicial Council (NJC).
KANO FOCUS reports that Hassan is among four judicial officers from Kano State recommended for elevation to the High Court bench out of 28 candidates selected nationwide.
The other nominees are Halima Yahuza Ahmad, Abdullahi Abdulsalam Bature and Musa Ibrahim Umar.
The NJC disclosed the recommendations in a statement issued by its Deputy Director of Information, Kemi Babalola-Ogedengbe, following its consideration of candidates for judicial appointments across the country.
The council said all recommended candidates were expected to be sworn in by their respective state governors without delay.
Hassan’s recommendation follows her years of service in the Kano State judiciary, where she has reportedly distinguished herself through diligence, professionalism and careful handling of cases.
She has been commended for her commitment to judicial ethics, diligence and fairness in the discharge of her responsibilities, achievements that contributed to her career progression within the judiciary.
Her elevation is part of a broader development in the Kano State judiciary, with four magistrates from the state successfully scaling the selection process for appointment to the High Court.
The four nominees were reportedly assessed during the selection exercise and demonstrated strong professional competence, while their service records were found to be free of adverse remarks.
Their recommendation marks a significant step in their judicial careers and is expected to strengthen the judicial workforce in Kano State upon their formal appointment.
Nasiru Yusuf Ibrahim
The Kano State Accountability Forum on Education (K-SAFE) says it has tracked nearly 1,000 education projects across the state as part of efforts to promote transparency, accountability and effective service delivery in the education sector.
KANO FOCUS the coalition’s Co-Chair, Dr Auwalu Halilu, disclosed this on Wednesday during an advocacy visit to the Kano State Ministry of Public Procurement and Project Monitoring.
Dr Halilu said K-SAFE had monitored projects in more than six local government areas, covering interventions implemented by the State Universal Basic Education Board (SUBEB), Kano State Senior Secondary Education Management Board and Local Education Authorities (LEAs).
He explained that the monitoring exercise involved physical inspections and documentation of projects through photographs, videos and geographical locations.
According to him, reports of the findings had been submitted to relevant ministries, departments and agencies (MDAs), highlighting projects that met required standards and those requiring further attention.
He cited Rimin Gado Local Government Area, where the coalition tracked more than 80 education projects, adding that it planned to extend the exercise to all 44 local government areas of the state.
The K-SAFE Co-Chair said the visit was aimed at presenting the coalition’s activities to the ministry and exploring areas of collaboration in procurement and project monitoring.
He called for the inclusion of civil society organisations in procurement and monitoring processes, particularly tender board activities and field inspections, to strengthen independent oversight and provide them with firsthand information on government projects.
Dr Halilu also requested the ministry’s support in organising capacity-building programmes for civil society organisations on procurement procedures, due process, project standardisation, monitoring and evaluation.
He said such training would enhance civil society organisations’ understanding of procurement regulations and the technical requirements guiding project implementation.
Responding, the Commissioner for Public Procurement and Project Monitoring, Dr Nura Iro Ma’aji, welcomed the delegation and acknowledged the coalition’s contributions to supporting the state government’s efforts in the education sector.
He expressed the ministry’s readiness to collaborate with K-SAFE through information sharing and other relevant engagements to strengthen accountability and ensure compliance with due process.
“From our side, we are ready to work together because we know what they have been doing to support Kano State Government in the education sector,” he said.
Dr Halilu further disclosed that the coalition and its partner organisations had carried out the monitoring exercise without financial sponsorship, describing it as a demonstration of their commitment to transparency and accountability.
He reaffirmed K-SAFE’s commitment to sustaining engagement with relevant government agencies, civil society organisations and the media to strengthen oversight of education projects across Kano State.
Ibrahim Khalil
Government Secondary School (GSS) Army Day Bukavu has emerged champion in both the male and female categories of the maiden Kano State Secondary Schools Tug of War Competition.
KANO FOCUS reports that the school clinched the double victory at the competition, which ended on Wednesday at the Kano Pillars Stadium, Sabon Gari, Kano.
Governors College finished as runners-up in the male category, while Government Girls College (GGC) Kano secured second position in the female category.
The competition was organised by the Kano State Tug of War Association in collaboration with the state Ministry of Education, the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) and the Kano State Sports Commission.
The maiden championship brought together secondary school students to promote teamwork, discipline, unity and sportsmanship, while raising awareness about the dangers of drug abuse.
Speaking at the closing ceremony, the Vice Chairman of the Kano State Tug of War Association, Jamilu Uba Adamu, described the competition as a successful initiative that had achieved its objectives.
He commended the Ministry of Education, Sports Commission, NDLEA, Gongoni Company Limited and MAGZO Pharmaceutical for supporting the event, particularly through the provision of T-shirts and Pocari Sweat drinks.
Also speaking, the Secretary of the Kano State Tug of War Association, Bashir Muhammad Sulaiman, who represented the Executive Chairman of the Sports Commission, Muhammad Tukur Babangida, reaffirmed the commission’s commitment to developing grassroots and school sports.
He said the initiative would help identify and nurture young sporting talents across the state.
The closing ceremony was attended by a member of the Kano State Football Association Board, Rilwanu Idris Malikawa Garu, representatives of the Ministry of Education, NDLEA, the Sports Commission and other stakeholders in the sports sector.
The organisers congratulated the winning schools and commended all participating institutions and partners for contributing to the success of the maiden edition.
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