Headlines
PERL engages Kano officials on good governance

Nasiru Yusuf
Partnership to Engage, Reform and Learn (PERL) under its Accountable, Responsible and Capable (ARC) pillar, in Kano State has conducted a governance assessment programme for Kano state government’s officials.

KANO FOCUS reports that the programme which was funded by Foreign and Commonwealth Development Office (FCDO) was conducted between Monday and Tuesday in Kano metropolis.
The programme featured thorough deliberations, focus group discussion/data collection.
Speaking at the occasion, the state leader of PERL – ARC, Malam Auwalu Hamza, said more productivity was expected from the civil servants, adding that as such they should have a good mental skill and be ready for the service.
He urged them to really be productive and take personal development seriously, for them to be able to develop themselves.
“Civil servants should not cage themselves in one place.
“They should widen their horizon to think for their future life, especially after retirement.
“If you get frustration from civil service, you better get yourself out of it,” he suggested to them.
On his part, the Deputy National Programme Manager of PERL/ARC, Moses Salami, spoke on the mandate of PERL in helping the ability to hold leaders accountable, make them responsive and capable In governance process.
He said the organisation was concerned on how leaders were responding to the needs of the citizens.
Mr. Salami stressed the need to further strengthen the system on accountability thematic areas, noting that the state government was very committed in making education accessible to the citizens of the state.
In his goodwill message, the Director of Monitoring and Evaluation of the state Ministry of Planning and Budget, Malam Abbas Ilyasu Karaye appreciated PERL for the partnership in strengthening governance process in the state.
Malam Karaye noted that PERL had ensured effective accessibility in the areas of health and education, urging the participants to provide adequate information/data in the thematic areas.
He said qualitative data was needed to achieve the objectives, renewing appreciation to FCDO – PERL for its unflinching support to the development of the state.
He explained that the event, would, in the area of monitoring and evaluation, in crease their activities in the areas of water, health and education.
He told the gathering that the event was held in collaboration with Partnership for Learning for All in Nigeria (PLANE) and Lafiya Projects.
Speaking in the same vein, the State Team Leader of PLANE, Malam Umar Lawan, represented by the project’s Monitoring and Evaluation Technical Officer, Malam Umar Muhammad, expressed delight with the conduct of the exercise.
Also, Malam Abdulkadir Kabara of Lafiya Project, described the exercise as a good development and timely.
He said it was a good support to sectors, like education and health, adding however that it would give an opportunity to the government to understand its loop holes and improve upon.
The PERL consultant, Dr. Adeboye Adeyemo, who said the exercise was evidence-based, used the occasion to shower encomiums on Malam Auwalu Hamza, the state leader of PERL-ARC, for his love to civil servants, describing him as a lover of PDP – meaning Personal Development Programme.
The objective of the event was to engage partners in the state in the education and health sectors on the governance assessment process by conducting focus group discussion and data collection for the reporting period of 2022.

Headlines
Abba Kabir Yusuf urges ‘victory trekkers’ to cancel plans, seeks prayers

Aminu Abdullahi
The Kano State Governor-elect, Alhaji Abba Kabir Yusuf, has urged his supporters and members of the New Nigeria People’s Party (NNPP) to embark on prayers for ingenuity and guidance for his leadership towards delivering the dividends of democracy.
KANO FOCUS reports that this is contained in a statement in Kano on Wednesday by Spokesperson of governor-elect Sanusi Bature Dawakin Tofa.
The prayers, Yusuf said, are sufficient as a show of solidarity and celebration of his victory at the polls on Saturday and not miles of trek by some of his enthusiasts in some quarters especially given the state of insecurity with banditry, kidnapping and terrorism threatening peaceful movement of people and goods across the length and breadth of the country.

Yusuf also pledged commitment to improved infrastructure and good welfare for the aged, civil servants and private sector among others in the state.
“The incoming Kano State Government will be committed to a greater future of the people with security, health, education, economic, infrastructure and good welfare for aged, civil servants and private sector among others”, he said.

Headlines
Gawuna, APC reject Kano governorship election, ask INEC to declare exercise inconclusive

Aminu Abdullahi
All Progressives Congress governorship candidate in the last Saturday gubernatorial election, Nasiru Yusuf Gawuna on Tuesday rejected the declaration of Abba Kabir Yusuf of the New Nigeria People’s Party NNPP as the winner of the poll in Kano state.
KANO FOCUS reports that Gawuna in his first public appearance after the poll, spoke during a press conference by the party in the state capital.
The Deputy Governor who admitted that power comes from Almighty Allah, however said he aligned with the positions of the party which among others gave INEC 7 days ultimatum to declared the governorship poll inconclusive.
Gawuna who was in the company of party leaders, said it was astonishing that with the same election, 16 of the House of Assembly elections held same day and same conditions were declared inconclusive by INEC.

Meanwhile, the APC in Kano has rejected the announcement of Abba Kabir Yusif of the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP) as winner of the just concluded governorship election in Kano calling for immediate review of the election result by the electoral umpire within seven days.
The APC chairman, who was represented by the party’s legal adviser, Abdul Adamu Fagge insists that the election should be declared inconclusive because the cancelled votes were greater than the margin between the first and the second parties of NNPP and APC respectively as provided by the Electoral Act.
Fagge said that there was no way the election could be declared conclusive with over 270,000 votes cancelled which a margin shows is bigger than the winner’s votes.
The party also drew attention to the cancellation of sixteen House of Assembly elections in the state, sighting violence as the reason, while the same votes were considered in collating the governorship election.
It expressed dismay saying the two elections took place same day, same time, same places and under the same circumstances.
Fagge said, “based on section 65 of the Electoral Laws 2022, we have written to INEC to revisit and cancel the hasty, wrong and selfish declaration of the NNPP as winner of the elections, and declared the conduct inconclusive”.
He said they have since written to INEC to within seven days revisit the elections based on the provisions of the Electoral laws and declare it Inconclusive.
The Legal Adviser explained that INEC Returning Officer, acted not on the only basis of the provisions of laws.

Headlines
Kano govt lifts dawn to dusk curfew

Mukhtar Yahaya Usman
The Kano State Government has lifted the dawn-to-dusk curfew imposed in the state.
KANO FOCUS reports that the state government on Monday imposed the curfew with a view to avoiding a breakdown of law and order.
The order followed tensions generated from the collation of results of the governorship and state Assembly elections.
The state Commissioner for Information and Internal Affairs, Muhammad Garba, made the announcement lifting the curfew in a statement issued on Monday night.

He said the decision to lift the curfew followed a careful review of the situation and the relative calm throughout the state.
The commissioner called on commercial banks, public servants and the people in the state to continue their normal activities.
