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OCCEN, Kano CSOs launch situation room for 2023 election

Ahead of 2023 general elections, Organization for Community Civic Engagement (OCCEN) in collaboration with Kano Civil Society Forum (KCSF) have inaugurated Civil Society Situation Room.
KANO FOCUS reports that the Executive Director of OCCEN, Comrade Abdulrazak Alkali who is a co-convener of the inauguration ceremony said the idea for establishing the state elections situation room is to ensure prompt responses to possible challenges and threats before, during and after the 2023 general elections.

Comrade Abdulrazak Alkali
He said, similar effort was made during the last local government election in Kano and had yielded positive results, which prompted the formation of the situation room for the forthcoming election.
Alkali who is the convener of the programme stated that, Kano situation room is a replica of National Situation Room, set up to strengthen electoral processes in Kano State.

He called on Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to develop mechanism for checkmating vote buying by politicians and pledged to organise periodic meetings with INEC and other stakeholders on electoral processes as the need arise.
In his address the President of Kano Civil society Forum, Amb. Ibrahim Waiya said, the Situation Room model, by contrast, ”provides a platform for rapid and timely response.”

Amb Ibrahim Waiya
Waiya who doubles as co-convener of the programme said it is designed to ensure that beyond observation, civil society is able to play a greater role in crisis management, early warning and constructive engagement of the process to ensure a credible election.
”The Election Situation Room shall have the following representatives stakeholders groups and organizations as members: Police, DSS, INEC, National Human Right Commission, EFCC, Media, Civil Society, IPAC, Hisbah, NOA, Civil Defence, Military, Traditional Institution among others.

Dignitaries at the event
“The essence of the Situation Room, is to tactically maximize the access for information gathering and provide a unified platform for analysis and intervention by the concerned authorities proactively,” he explained.
He added that “The Kano Civil Society Forum (KCSF), is the key umbrella body of Civil Society Organizations in Kano State, associating under a common platform with the aim of achieving human rights protection and promotion, promotion of democracy, good governance, Anti-corruption
“Transparency and accountable Governance, health, peace, justice and sustainable development in the State and Nigeria at large.

Representatives of media
”Kano Civil Society Forum (KCSF) the umbrella body of over 100 Civil Society organizations operating in Kano State, has as part of its continuous interventions and advocacy for best Democratic practices is in partnership with Organization for Community Civic Engagement (OCCEN) with support from National Endowment for Democracy (NED) Washington D.C organizing today’ s event to launch and inaugurate the establishment of the Kano State Civil Society Election Situation Room,” Waiya said.
The featured presentation from representatives of Independently National Electoral Commission (INEC), Inter-Party Advisory Council (IPAC), Nigeria Police Force (NPF), National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) and Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ).

Representative of EFCC
Highlights of the event include questions and answers session on how to strengthen electoral processes in Kano State.

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Kwankwaso denies taking position on rumoured defection to APC

The 2023 Presidential candidate of the New Nigerian Peoples Party (NNPP), Dr. Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso, has debunked reaching a resolution with any individual on the trending defection rumoured to the ruling party or any other political party.
KANO FOCUS reports that Kwankwaso, who considered the recent statement credited to have suggested a particular position as an imagination of falsehood and fragmentation of political mischief against him.

A statement posted on his official X handle @KwankwasoRM, the ex-Governor insisted he has since refrained from commenting on contemporary political events, and will continue to do so for the time being.
In the said false information that went viral, Kwankwaso was quoted to have revealed a meeting with President Bola Tinubu on multiple occasions, urging him to return to the APC fold.
Responding to a statement purportedly signed by one Ibrahim Rabiu, Sen. Kwankwaso insisted he had never signed or authorised any statement to be issued on his behalf.
“My attention has been drawn to a statement purportedly stating my position on the recurring political realignments. I wish to categorically state that such statements are false, unfounded, and products of political mischief.
“I have refrained from commenting on contemporary political events, and I will continue to do so for the time being.”
” I urge the public to only engage statements that come from my public handles and other official sources”. Kwankwaso RM.”
In a releted development, the author of the purported false statement Ibrahim Rabiu has issued a self counter, denouncing the statement as a work of devil.
“I Ibrahim Rabiu, wish to inform the general public that I was never authorised by Sen. Rabiu Kwankwaso to issue and release a statement on his belhalf”
“I therefore wish to tender a public apology to his person with a promise that such childish act will never be repeated in the future, please find a space in your heart to forgive me, I was misled by fake news and agents of misinformation”

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Emir Sanusi commends AGILE for renovating over 1,300 schools in Kano

The Emir of Kano, Khalifa Muhammad Sunusi II, commended the Adolescent Girls Initiatives for Learning and Empowerment (AGILE) Project for reenrolling over 30,000 adolescent girls and renovating more than 1,300 schools across the state.
KANO FOCUS reports that the Emir made the commendation while reeiving AGILE State Project Implementation Unit (SIPU) who paid him an advocacy visit recently.

Khalifa Muhammadu Sanusi ll
He emphasized the Kano Emirate Council’s commitment to advocating for education and pledged continued support to ensure the enrollment, retention, transition, and completion of girls’ education in Kano.

The Emir also emphasized the importance of collaboration and synergy in implementing policies and programs that foster the development of the state and the nation at large.

AGILE Project Coordinator presenting gift to Emir of Kano
He expressed satisfaction with the AGILE project’s strong monitoring and evaluation framework, particularly in tracking the use of grants and conditional cash transfers.
In his remarks, the Kano State AGILE Coordinator, Malam Mujtapha Aminu said more than 100,000 students are currently enrolled in learning centers across 23 local government areas under the Adolescent Girls’ Initiative for Learning and Empowerment (AGILE) second chance education in Kano.

AGILE PC and Emir of Kano
He said this initiative provides out-of-school adolescent girls an opportunity to complete their secondary education, gain entrepreneurship and life skills.
According to him, the second chance education students undergo literacy, numeracy, and entrepreneurship training across 5,000 learning centers.

Athletes who participated in AGILE WEEK Games
He further explained that after nine months of instruction, the students sit for examinations and are awarded certificates equivalent to the Junior Secondary School Certificate.
“Those who enroll in the advanced literacy program also have the opportunity to sit for national examinations such as NECO and WAEC,” he added.
He said they visited the Emir’andalace to seek blessings and advocate for support to achieve their goals.

AGILE Communications Officer and games officials
The AGILE Project is a World Bank-assisted initiative implemented through Federal and State Ministries of Education, aimed at improving secondary education opportunities for adolescent girls in Nigeria.

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Rurum, Rogo finally dump NNPP for APC


The gale of defection from opposition political parties intensifies as two members of the opposition New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP), Abdullahi Sani Rogo and Kabiru Alhassan Rurum, have defected to the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).
KANO FOCUS reports that both lawmakers represent Rano/Bunkure/Kibiya and Karaye/Rogo federal constituency of Kano State.
Both lawmakers announced their defection at plenary presided over by Speaker Abbas Tajudeen.
On hand to witness the defection on the floor of the House was the national chairman of the APC, Dr. Abdullahi Umar Ganduje, accompanied by some members of the national working committee of the party.
However, the Minority Whip, Isa Ali JC, faulted the defection of the lawmakers on the basis that it was against constitutional provisions.
As of Thursday, no fewer than 30 members of opposition political parties have dumped their parties to join the APC.
