Headlines
Hajj 2022: Ganduje asks FG to investigate National Hajj Commission over failure
Nasiru Yusuf
Governor of Kano State Abdullahi Ganduje has urged the Federal Government to quickly open a thorough investigation into the failure of the National Hajj Commission in the last 2022 Hajj Operation.
KANO FOCUS reports that Ganduje raised the concerns, Friday, at Africa House, Government House, Kano, when he received the 2022 Hajj Operation report, Friday, from the management of Kano Pilgrims Welfare Board, led by the Chairman of the Board, Abdullahi Pakistan and Executive Secretary of the Board, Abba Danbatta.
After congratulating the state Pilgrims Board, for their untiring effort in the Hajj operation, he disclosed that “Due to the inefficiency and mismanagement of the National Hajj Commission, many Pilgrims suffered severely without any remorse from the national agency.”
He further added that, due to the ‘dishonest attitudes’ of the National Commission, even at the level of service delivery, National Hajj Commission failed woefully.
Ganduje said the last hajj was mismanaged by the commission, alleging that its managers displayed dishonesty and criminal tendencies.
“The last 2022 Hajj operation was the worst I ever witnessed during my tenure as the governor of Kano State. It was mismanaged, a number of dishonest attitudes, fraud and anomalies,” the governor observed.
The airline we chose was not the one they gave us. I went there personally to lodge our complaint and they promised to abide by our choice. But unfortunately, they gave us another airline entirely different.”
He said many Pilgrims were left behind on the ground without performing Hajj operations.
“The airline they gave to us was the one we gave our slots to, the previous year, and the airline sold the slots we gave them. So this is the same airline, they gave us due to inefficiency and mismanagement.
Though we told them our reason for rejecting the airline they attached to us. They promised to give us our choice, but they failed to do that,” he complained.
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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