Headlines
Kwankwaso slams APC, PDP, says they have failed Nigerians
Nasiru Yusuf
The presidential candidate of the New Nigeria Peoples Party, Dr. Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso, stated that he and some other Nigerians dumped the All Progressives Congress and Peoples Democratic Party structures because they failed Nigerians.
KANO FOCUS reports that Dr Kwankwaso made the remarks on Sunday at the 2022 presidential Town Hall meeting in Abuja.
Kwankwaso stated that he is angry at the way some Nigerians are and that this anger drove him to join the NNPP as the APC and PDP systems failed.
He said, “Some of us are angry to the extent of leaving the PDP and the APC because we feel there are better ways of doing things in this country. We feel the system has failed and that is why we have decided to go to the NNPP. “
Kwankwaso, who said the current number of military officials was grossly inadequate, promised that he has made adequate arrangement to increase the number of military officers from two hundred and fifty thousand to one million military, army, Air Force and navy.
He stressed that he was going to take over every square metre of the country and pledged to increase policemen from two hundred and thirty thousand to two million.
“We will be willing to sit down with everyone with grudges in any part of the country to dialogue and at the end of the day, anyone, who decides to do otherwise, definitely, the law will take its course,” he said.
Further on security, Kwankwaso said, if the government was doing the right thing, many people would have put down their arms, adding that those who did not want to do that, it was the responsibility of the government to ensure peace as people went about their legitimate businesses not minding religion and ethnicity.
His words: “Today, in 2022, security agencies could not identify locations, especially, everybody including the criminals are using telephone and these telephones are not difficult to identify and these are the problems.
“In Kano, when I was in government, we constructed roads and of course, gates leading into the city and the idea was to put cameras, scanners so that anybody going into our city should be checked.”
He stated that NNPP was the only growing political party in Nigeria as other party did not have anything to tell Nigerians that was new.“In Kano, there was no child of primary age that did not get a place in primary school. No child of secondary school age that did not go to school after passing exams.
“Provide for people, provide for agriculture, provide for infrastructure, bring the people together, unite then. We had so many programmes and projects and everybody was busy and happy“We brought synergy between the military, the police, the SSS, civil defence. We were working together and we are still working together in Kano,” he said.
On the economy, Kwankwaso promised that, “We will create necessary palliative even if we take subsidy away, which is very necessary in the long term, that it has to be removed for better survival.
“In the economy, there are so many things that are intertwined, the issue of exchange, corruption, oil theft, we are supposed to give out 2.2 million going by the OPEC arrangement but the record is less than that, so we have to do whatever it takes to stop stealing.
“It is very critical to us that we work on how to stop stealing of oil and other assets owned by the nation. The issue of subsidy, we are aware that there is a lot of corruption in the field and the first area of attack on subsidy is the issue of corruption. Subsidy over all doesn’t do any good to anybody but at the same time, we are concerned with the welfare of Nigerians.”
He also revealed that he never borrowed in the eight years that he governed Kano State and that he left so much money in account of the electricity generation, adding that he left over 43 million dollars.
He said, “We inherited a budget, which recurrent was 70 per cent, capital 30 per cent but by the time I was going in 2015, we reversed that. I believe that in this country, we have enough money, enough resources and all we need is leadership that will ensure that every kobo goes into the right place.
“Our party is not based on the leadership of the money bags. Everybody knows that we have an ideology and beliefs on governance. We have done it before and by the grace of God, if we have opportunity, we will do it even better.
“We joined this party in less than seven months, we had our party structure, we have our candidates almost 100%, we have our leadership intact, and are campaigning, right from the sales of forms, we saw other parties spend hundreds of millions to buy but ours was completely different, because we believe in credibility, we believe in capacity and one united Nigeria,” the politician said.
Ibrahim Khalil
Residents of Tsakuwa community in Dawakin Kudu Local Government Area of Kano State have honoured 11 individuals for their outstanding contributions to the development of the town.
KANO FOCUS reports that the awards were presented during the 6th Annual General Meeting (AGM) of the Tsakuwa Mufarka Sustainable Development Association, held on Sunday at Central Primary School, Tsakuwa.
Among those honoured were the traditional ruler of the community, Sarkin Tsakuwa, Alhaji Isma’ila Santali Tsakuwa; the Chairman of the Tsakuwa Mufarka Sustainable Development Association, Alhaji Tasiu Alhassan Tsakuwa; and a retired headmaster of Central Primary School, Tsakuwa, Alhaji Mahmuda Shehu, who continues to offer voluntary teaching services to pupils in the community.
Also recognised was Alhaji Umar Muhammad Banupe, a Nupe businessman who settled in Tsakuwa and has become an integral part of the community. He was honoured for his significant contributions to the town’s development.
Alhaji Umar Muhammad Banupe receiving a certificate
Other award recipients included the Chairman of the Northwest Development Commission, Professor Shehu Abdullahi Ma’aji (Garkuwan Tsakuwa); the Commander of the Gombe State Hisbah Command, Malam Rabiu Idris; media practitioner Nasiru Yusuf Ibrahim of Abubakar Rimi Television Corporation (ARTV); the founder of Tsakuwa Mufarka Sustainable Development Association, Malam Ibrahim Almustapha Sani; and Sulaiman Salisu Babah, among others.
Alhaji Tasiu Alhassan presenting a certificate to Nasiru Yusuf Ibrahim
Speaking at the event, the Sarkin Tsakuwa, Alhaji Isma’ila Santali Tsakuwa, commended the leadership of the association for its commitment to community development and urged members to sustain their efforts toward improving the welfare of residents.
In his remarks, the Chairman of the association, Alhaji Tasiu Alhassan Tsakuwa, said the non-partisan organisation had prioritised interventions in education, security, and healthcare.
He appealed to members of the community to sustain their monthly financial contributions to enable the association to continue implementing development projects.
Earlier, a member of the association, Malam Abdullahi Wagadi, disclosed that the group generated ₦6.56 million through members’ monthly contributions over the past year.
According to him, the association spent ₦3.84 million on allowances for volunteer teachers and vigilantes, ₦564,000 on fencing the Eid prayer ground, and ₦1.255 million on the renovation of the community police outpost.
He further stated that ₦356,000 was spent on supporting Tsakuwa Model Primary School, ₦430,000 on scholarships for students, ₦700,000 on instructional materials, and ₦50,000 on health assistance for vulnerable residents.
Association Raises Over ₦2.1 Million at AGM
A major highlight of the AGM was the fundraising session, during which the association raised ₦2.143 million from philanthropists and community stakeholders.
Leading the donations was Alhaji Umar Muhammad Banupe, who contributed ₦500,000. He was followed by Hon. Mustapha Bala Dawaki, who also donated ₦500,000, while Hon. Abdulmumin Tijjani, popularly known as Mai POS, donated ₦200,000.
Other donors included the Sarkin Tsakuwa, Alhaji Isma’ila Santali Tsakuwa, who donated ₦100,000; the association’s chairman, Alhaji Tasiu Alhassan Tsakuwa, ₦200,000; Professor Shehu Abdullahi Ma’aji Garkuwan Tsakuwa), ₦100,000; and Malam Rabiu Idris, who also contributed ₦100,000.
The event attracted community leaders, stakeholders, and residents who commended the association for its contributions to grassroots development and pledged continued support for its programmes.
Nasiru Yusuf Ibrahim
Health journalists in Kano State have inaugurated a new professional body, the Kano Health Journalists Network (KAHJON), aimed at strengthening media reporting and advocacy on Reproductive, Maternal, Newborn, Child and Adolescent Health (RMNCAH) and Primary Health Care (PHC).
KANO FOCUS reports that the network was launched during an Alignment, Coordination, Monitoring and Implementation meeting of media coalitions on gender-responsive RMNCAH and PHC, organised by the International Society of Media in Public Health (ISMPH) in Kano.
During the inauguration, journalists unanimously elected Khadijah Aliyu of Radio Nigeria as Chairperson of the newly established network.
Other members of the executive committee include Mustapha Hodi Adamu of People Daily Newspaper as Vice Chairperson, Abdullahi Hassan of ARTV as Secretary, and Mustapha Salisu of Prime Times as Public Relations Officer.
Speaking at the event, the Programme Director of ISMPH, Mr. Solomon Dogo, said the establishment of KAHJON would help unify existing health reporting groups and improve media coverage of critical public health issues, including polio eradication, nutrition, maternal health, and primary healthcare services.
He congratulated the newly elected executives and expressed confidence that the network would enhance collaboration among media practitioners while strengthening health advocacy efforts in the state.
Dogo noted that similar health journalists’ networks are already operating in Lagos and Kaduna states, adding that development partners remain committed to supporting initiatives that promote public health advocacy.
Also speaking, ISMPH Programme Officer in Kano, Hajiya Sabuwa Yahaya, said the platform would improve coordination among journalists, enhance access to health information, and strengthen evidence-based reporting on health issues.
According to her, the network will also provide a stronger platform for advocacy and engagement with government institutions, development partners, and local communities.
The inauguration ceremony attracted goodwill messages from several development partners, including the Integrated Budget and Policy (IBP), LISDEL, CCSI, SANDHEF, and the Clinton Health Access Initiative (CHAI).
Representatives of the Kano State Ministry of Health, the Drug Management and Consumables Supply Agency, and the Kano State Contributory Healthcare Management Agency also attended the event.
A major highlight of the ceremony was the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU), which formally established the Kano Health Journalists Network and marked the beginning of a new chapter in health journalism and advocacy in the state.
Nasiru Yusuf Ibrahim
A House of Representatives aspirant for the Kura/Madobi/Garun Malam Federal Constituency under the National Democratic Congress (NDC), Alhaji Mahmud Tijjani Kura, has withdrawn his candidature and defected to the All Progressives Congress (APC).
KANO FOCUS reports that the development was disclosed on Saturday by a prominent APC chieftain, Alhaji Aliyu Lawan Dambatta, popularly known as Majidadin Dambatta.
According to Majidadin Dambatta, he led a delegation alongside the former aspirant to a meeting with Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf, during which Kura formally announced his decision to join the APC.
Majidadin Dambatta described the defection as a significant boost to the ruling party, noting that it would further strengthen the APC’s unity and political structure ahead of future elections.
He said the party remained committed to working collectively for the progress and development of Kano State and the country.
The APC stalwart welcomed Kura back into the party and expressed confidence that he would make meaningful contributions to its growth and the welfare of the people.
The defection is expected to add a new dimension to the political landscape in Kano State as parties continue to realign ahead of future electoral contests.
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