Headlines
Nine person die as car falls into Gwarzo dam
Nasiru Yusuf
Kano State Fire Service has confirmed the death of nine passengers after their vehicle plunged into Fada Dam in Gwarzo local government.
KANO FOCUS reports that the Service Public Relations Officer (PRO), Saminu Yusuf Abdullahi confirmed this in a statement issued on Sunday.
He stated that the incident occurred on Saturday at about 6.45 pm.
The statement said, “On Saturday 19th November 2022, state fire service received an emergency call through Ali Mai Faci, at about 18:45 hrs and he reported an incident at Fada dam Gwarzo LGA Dayi road.”
He disclosed that the accident involved a Golf wagon car with 12 passengers coming from Kano and heading to Katsina.
It was gathered that the accident occurred as a result of a faulty vehicle parked in the middle of the road without proper beckoning for motorists to take caution.
He said the accident happened when the Golf driver lost control and plunged into the dam after hitting a stone placed close to the faulty vehicle which was hardly noticed due to poor visibility as the sun had already set.
The source attributed overloading and lack of quick response from authorities to the number of casualties recorded during the incident.
According to an eyewitness, “the vehicle which was meant to officially carry a driver and four passengers had fifteen persons onboard. And for more than two hours there was no intervention from the fire service despite being informed and the short distance between the scene of the accident and Gwarzo town which was just less than ten kilometers.
“Rescue operation commenced only when good Samaritans decided to block the road to engage all motorists plying the road to support the victims.”
He stated that attempts to pull the car out of the dam using a trailer and canter truck proved abortive.
“Fire service did not report to the scene up until 8:47 pm when the rescuers gave up leaving one person in the river after all efforts to get him out probed abortive,” the eyewitness said.
A statement from the fire service read: “When our men from Gwarzo fire station reached the area at about 19:10 hrs, they found that a Golf Wagon with an unknown registration number, coming from Kano heading to Katsina, fell inside Fada dam.
“Twelve people of Katsina State were rescued, all with unknown names. Victims involved are two girls of about six months, four women of about 30, 28, 27 and 25 years old, as well as six men of about 48, 45, 42, 40, 35 and 28 years old.”
The statement added that “with a good effort of our men and local fishermen, we successfully rescued three persons alive, while nine people unconscious and conveyed all victims to Gwarzo General Hospital for medical attention and doctors confirmed the death of nine people among the victims.”
Nasiru Yusuf Ibrahim
Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf has sacked the Secretary to the State Government, Dr. Abdullahi Baffa Bichi, along with five commissioners, and scrapped the office of the Chief of Staff.
KANO FOCUS reports that those removed include the Commissioner for Information, Halilu Baba Dantiye; Ibrahim Jibril Fagge of the Finance Ministry; Ladidi Ibrahim Garko of Culture and Tourism; Shehu Aliyu Karaye of Special Duties; and Abbas Sani Abbas of Rural and Community Development.
In a major cabinet reshuffle announced in a statement by the Governor’s Spokesperson, Sanusi Bature Dawakin-Tofa, Governor Yusuf reassigned the portfolios of seven commissioners, including the Deputy Governor, Comrade Aminu Abdussalam, who was moved from Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs to the Ministry of Higher Education.
According to the statement, Governor Yusuf said the reshuffle of the state executive council is meant to effect a pragmatic political realignment of his administration.
Those who retained their positions include the Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice, Barr. Haruna Isa Dederi; Commissioner for Agriculture, Dr Danjuma Mahmoud; Commissioner for Health, Dr Abubakar Labaran; Commissioner for Land and Physical Planning, Hon. Abduljabbar Mohammed Umar; Commissioner for Budget and Planning, Hon. Musa Suleiman Shannon; and Commissioner for Works and Housing, Engr. Marwan Ahmad.
Also retained are the Commissioner for Solid and Mineral Resources, Sefianu Hamza; Commissioner for Religious Affairs, Sheikh Ahmad Tijani Auwal; Commissioner for Youth and Sports, Hon. Mustapha Rabiu Kwankwaso; Commissioner for Investment and Commerce, Adamu Aliyu Kibiya; and Commissioner for Internal Security and Special Services, Major General Mohammad Inuwa Idris (Rtd).
According to the statement, those reassigned include Deputy Governor Comrade Aminu Abdussalam, who is moved from the Ministry of Local Government to Higher Education; Hon. Mohammad Tajo Usman, who moved from Science and Technology to the Ministry of Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs; and Dr. Yusuf Ibrahim K/Mata, from Higher Education to Science, Technology, and Innovation.
Others reassigned include Hon. Amina Abdullahi, who moved from Humanitarian and Poverty Alleviation to the Ministry for Women, Children, and Disabled; Hon. Nasiru Sule Garo, from the Ministry of Environment and Climate Change to the Ministry of Special Duties.
Hon. Ibrahim Namadi, Commissioner for Project Monitoring and Evaluation, is now moved to the Ministry of Transport, while Hon. Haruna Doguwa of the Ministry of Education is moved to the Ministry of Water Resources. On the reassigned list are Hon. Ali Haruna Makoda, moved from Water Resources to the Ministry of Education; Hon. Aisha Lawal Saji, from the Ministry of Women, Children, and Disabled to Tourism; and Hon. Muhammad Diggol, from Transport to the Ministry of Project Monitoring and Evaluation.
Meanwhile, Governor Yusuf has dropped five members of his cabinet, including Ibrahim Jibril Fagge of the Finance Ministry; Ladidi Ibrahim Garko of Culture and Tourism; Baba Halilu Dantiye of Information; Shehu Aliyu Karaye of Special Duties; and Abbas Sani Abbas of Rural and Community Development.
Additionally, the Governor has directed the Chief of Staff and the five commissioners who have been dropped to report to the Governor’s office for possible reassignment.
Nasiru Yusuf Ibrahim
The Vice Chancellor of Bayero University, Kano (BUK), Professor Sagir Adamu Abbas, formally received the accreditation report for the Early Childhood Education and Primary Education programs on Wednesday.
KANO FOCUS reports that the report was presented by the accreditation team from the National Universities Commission (NUC).
The team, led by Professor Bashir Maina of Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, commended BUK for its substantial investment in e-library resources, which significantly enhance learning and research for both staff and students.
Professor Maina also praised the university’s impressive achievements in the development of physical infrastructure.
In his remarks, Professor Abbas expressed appreciation for the accreditation team’s visit, emphasizing the importance of such evaluations in fostering continuous improvement across all aspects of the university’s operations.
He reaffirmed BUK’s commitment to upholding quality and standards in all its programs, aligning them with global best practices.
The Vice Chancellor assured the team that their recommendations would be addressed promptly.
Other members of the accreditation team included Professor Amos Isiaka Gambari from Federal University, Minna; Professor Markus Zira Kamkwis from Adamawa State University, Mubi; and NUC representative, Nuruddeen Musa Umar.
Headlines
Post Harvest Loss: Kano Partners Aviation Industry to Advance Export of Agricultural Produces
Kano state government has expressed readiness to partner with aviation companies under the Federal Airport Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) to boost agribusiness through cargo export of perishable produces from Kano to neighboring states, African countries and europe.
Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf gave the commitment when he hosted delegation of cargo management services from Federal Airpoet Authority (FAAN) at the government on Wednesday.
A statement by Governor’s spokesperson Sanusi Bature Dawakin-Tofa disclosed that Governor Yusuf who was delighted to collaborate with the cargo transportation of farm produces from Kano believed the initiative would encourage production level.
Yusuf, represented by the chief of staff, Alhaji Shehu Wada Sagagi, said the new development scheduled to begin in the first quarter of 2025 will reduce post harvest loss which accounted for over 35 per cent of total proceed of produce.
The Governor assured the aviation industry players that his administration was prepared to advance the new mode of transporting agro-products to neighboring southern states and outside the country which would drastically reduce security and other risk on movement of produce through road transport.
Earlier, General Manager, General Cargo Service, FAAN, Mrs Alao Mamman Rekiya said the visit to the government intended to seek areas of corporation and synergy in the introduction of cargo export of farm produces from Kano to states in Nigeria and beyond.
Rekiya added that the Federal government’s initiative in the aviation sector was part of overall renewed agenda on diversification of revenue generation through cargo export.
She emphasized that with provision of cargo export of vegetables and other perishable produces from Kano, the Federal government is encouraging the farmers to improve on quality production and open up the state for economic viability.
She urged the state government to take advantage of the new down to create job opportunities in aviation ecosystem and reduce annual wastage on postharvest lose in the sector.
The team agreed to form an inter-agency committee on the project to explore its potentials for the economic prosperity of the commercial state.
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