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2023: Kano Peace Committee hails police for tackling political violence
Aminu Abdullahi
KanoPeace Committee (KPC) has commended Kano State Commissioner of Police in-charge of 2023 general elections in Kano, Muhammad Yakubu for his unwavering resolve to tackling political violence and thuggery in the state.
KANO FOCUS reports that the Kano State Police Command under the watch of CP Yakubu, has in recent times, arrested and prosecuted a number of high profile politicians in various political parties in the state for their alleged involvement in political violence in the state.
In a letter entitled: “KANO PEACE COMMITTEE APPRECIATES YOUR BOLD STEP TO TACKLE POLITICAL VIOLENCE AND THUGGERY IN KANO STATE AND YOU CAN COUNT ON OUR SUPPORT,” and addressed to CP Yakubu, the KPC passed a vote of confidence on the Police boss and declared their support to his giant strides.
The letter jointly signed by KPC Co-chairman, Right Rev. Dr. John Namaza Niyiring, Bishop, Kano Catholic Dioceses and the Head of Secretariat, Ambassador Ibrahim Waiya, was copied to the Inspector General of Police, Assistant Inspector General of Police, AIG Zone 1, Office of the National Security Advisor, the Emir of Kano.
The letter dated March 3, 2023 and made available to KANO FOCUS reads: “The Kano Peace Committee (KPC) was established to facilitate peace in Kano State especially before, during and after elections. The Committee facilitated and organized the 1st and 2nd signing of the Peace Accord, in collaboration with the National Peace Committee, before the conduct of the 2019 general elections in the State.
“Similarly, on the 18th January 2023, the Kano Peace Committee (KPC) in partnership with the National Peace Committee (NPC) with support from United Nations Office for West Africa and the Sahel (UNOWAS) organized the high level town-hall meeting with stakeholders and signing of the 2023 1st peace accord with 8 gubernatorial candidates in presence, to consolidate on the process for a concerted efforts to promote peace and to further enhance the interest of the citizens to participate in peace promotion efforts and ensure a peaceful conduct of all elections in 2023.
“Unfortunately, the Kano Peace Committee (KPC) closely observed that, the Kano Peace Accord signed by 8 political parties’ gubernatorial candidates in the State, was grossly violated by some political parties’ supporters through violent conflicts in many places even before the commencement of the elections.
“It is our opinion that, political violence were orchestrated through the handwork of some highly placed politicians who had always considered themselves above the law.
“The Kano Peace Committee, had at number of occasions called on the security agencies to intervene by arresting such highly political personalities to serve as deterrent to the younger ones, but unfortunately nothing of such was practically seen to have been done, even though there were reported cases of incidents that were alleged to have claimed the lives of some innocent persons. The most prominently reported case was that of Rimin Kebe quarters of Nassarawa LGA, which claimed the life of an innocent young boy by the alleged supporters of the candidate seeking election for the House of Representatives.
“The Kano Peace Committee (KPC), is of the opinion that action must be matched with talking. While we have been doing the talk, we had for long expected actions from the security agencies, like what you have now started.
“Therefore, while we appreciate your bold step through your unbiased approach to prevail on this long overdue ugly development in the State.
We request you not to succumb to any pressure from within or outside the State to compromise on the professional ethics and rules.
“The arrest and prosecution of some highly placed politicians and the ongoing investigation against others, is a well commendable effort. As we encourage you to continue to uphold the best practices of professional conduct. We wish to assure you that, the prayers of the good people of Kano would continue to be with you.
“This selfless service to the people of Kano and Nigeria at large, would not only make you a proud citizen of Nigeria, but shall also enable the citizens to support you through credible and reliable intelligence to further perform your duty more successfully. This is because, the unbiased approach of your command to contain the ugly political development in the State, has not only restored the public trust on the security agencies, but has also rebuilt the confidence and hope of the Kano citizens to have a hitch free second elections in the State coming up on the 11th of March, 2023.
“We therefore wish to, on behalf of the membership and leadership of the Kano Peace Committee, commend you on the arrests so far made of the suspected perpetrators and mastermind of some political violent attacks, especially that of Doguwa and Tudun Wada, as such incident was too unimaginable to happen in a responsible human society.
“We therefore beseech you to embark on a flush out operation to rid Kano of all potential political thugs that may hamper the security and safety of the Kano citizens, especially as the second elections for Governorship and State Assembly is fast approaching.
“Finally, the Kano Peace Committee is also assuring you of a total support and shall be available for you, should there be the need for that. It is our humble belief that, no group or individual should be seen acting above the law, regardless of any political party inclination or social background.”
Headlines
Abdulaziz unveils project inspection initiative, trains APC social media inflluencers at Arewa media summit
Nasiru Yusuf Ibrahim
The Senior Special Assistant to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu on Media and Public Enlightenment, Abdulaziz Abdulaziz, has unveiled a regional project inspection initiative aimed at showcasing key development projects in Northern Nigeria, while urging journalists and social media influencers to uphold ethical communication and combat misinformation.
Speaking on Monday at the maiden Arewa Media Summit in Kano, organised by his office, Abdulaziz said the gathering was conceived to strengthen dialogue between government, citizens and the media through accountability, responsibility and ethical communication.
He said effective governance depends on transparency, responsible civic engagement and a professional media that serves as a bridge between leaders and the people through factual and balanced reporting.
The presidential aide also cautioned social media influencers, who command large online audiences, to verify information before publication and avoid content capable of creating division, particularly as the country approaches the 2027 general elections.
According to him, more than 100 All Progressives Congress (APC) social media communicators were trained ahead of the summit to enhance their capacity to communicate government policies, programmes and achievements effectively.
Abdulaziz also unveiled the Gani Ya Kori initiative, a regional project inspection tour designed to spotlight landmark projects executed by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and Northern state governors that have received limited public attention.
“The initiative will help ensure that citizens are adequately informed about development projects and government interventions across the region,” he said.
The summit also featured a keynote address by the Minister of Information and National Reorientation, Mohammed Idris, who urged journalists and social media influencers to deny bandits and terrorists the publicity they seek.
“The media has an indispensable role in denying violent extremists the publicity they seek while promoting unity, resilience and hope,” the minister said.
He stressed that democracy flourishes when government remains transparent, citizens participate responsibly and the media performs its constitutional role with professionalism, fairness and integrity.
Idris observed that while the digital revolution has transformed communication by making every smartphone a broadcasting platform, it has also accelerated the spread of fake news and disinformation capable of undermining national unity and public confidence.
Declaring the summit open, Kano State Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf called on other states to emulate Kano’s Special Reporters Initiative, through which more than 150 young people have been deployed to ministries, departments, agencies and the state’s 44 local government areas to strengthen government communication and public enlightenment.
KANO FOCUS reports that the summit attracted journalists, broadcasters, filmmakers, digital content creators, academics, policymakers and communication professionals from across Northern Nigeria to deliberate on the theme, “Government, Citizens: Accountability, Responsibility and Ethical Media Practice.”
Nasiru Yusuf Ibrahim
The Kano State Government says it has executed 1,508 development projects worth more than N928 billion across the state’s 44 local government areas since Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf assumed office, with about 80 per cent of constituency projects awarded between 2023 and 2025 already completed.
KANO FOCUS reports that the Commissioner for Public Procurement, Projects Monitoring and Evaluation, Comrade Nura Iro Ma’aji Sumaila, disclosed this during an international press briefing on the administration’s infrastructure development programme.
According to Comrade Sumaila, the projects cover critical sectors including roads, urban renewal, education, healthcare, security and other social infrastructure.
He said 799 of the projects have been completed, while 709 are at various stages of execution. He added that the state is also implementing 619 constituency projects through members of the Kano State House of Assembly.
The commissioner noted that about 80 per cent of the constituency projects have been completed. However, he said some projects remain unfinished because of rising construction costs caused by inflation.
He said the government has submitted a request to Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf for an upward review of contract sums to enable contractors complete the affected projects.
Breakdown of projects
Comrade Sumaila said the administration spent over N169 billion on urban renewal projects, including road rehabilitation, drainage construction and other metropolitan infrastructure.
He said another N118 billion was committed to constructing five-kilometre roads in 38 local government areas to improve connectivity across the state.
According to him, the government also awarded contracts worth over N6.8 billion for the construction of Kano State Neighbourhood Watch security divisions in 36 local government areas.
He added that rural infrastructure projects covering education, healthcare and other social interventions across the 44 local government areas account for contracts valued at more than N397 billion, while other ongoing projects have a combined value of about N255 billion.
Commitment to transparency
The commissioner said the Ministry of Public Procurement, Projects Monitoring and Evaluation would continue to ensure compliance with due process and technical standards in the execution of government projects.
He said the ministry’s mandate includes monitoring projects to ensure value for money and prudent utilisation of public resources.
According to him, the administration’s investments in infrastructure are intended to improve mobility, strengthen security, expand access to education and healthcare, improve water supply and stimulate economic growth across the state.
Nasiru Yusuf Ibrahim
Kano State has emerged as the highest-ranked sub-national government in the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) for education spending, according to the latest Sub-National Education Spending Index developed by the University of Paris.
KANO FOCUS reports that the ranking places Kano State first among 209 first-level sub-national governments across 15 ECOWAS member countries, underscoring the state’s growing reputation for prioritising investment in education.
According to the published index, Kano topped the rankings with an overall S-WAESI score of 87.21, outperforming other leading regions, including Dakar and Saint-Louis in Senegal. Lagos State was the second Nigerian state on the list, ranking 16th overall.
The assessment evaluated states and regions using the S-WAESI (Sub-National Weighted Aggregate Education Spending Index) methodology, which measures government commitment to education through indicators such as actual education expenditure, spending per student, budget execution, education priority, transparency and evidence-based reporting.
The methodology assigns 35 points to actual education spending, 25 points to spending per student, 20 points to budget execution, 10 points to education priority and 10 points to transparency.
The report indicated that Kano excelled largely due to its strong actual education spending and budget execution, making it the best-performing sub-national government in the region.
The ranking covered states, regions, districts and municipalities across Nigeria, Senegal, Ghana, Côte d’Ivoire, Sierra Leone, Liberia, Benin, Burkina Faso, Mali, Niger, Togo, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau and Cabo Verde.
Kano State Accountability Forum on Education (K-SAFE) said the recognition reflects Kano State Government’s sustained investment in expanding access to education, improving school infrastructure and strengthening educational planning and budget implementation.
KANO FOCUS reports that the achievement is expected to further boost the state’s profile as a leader in education reform within West Africa and provide additional momentum for ongoing efforts to improve learning outcomes across the state.
The latest ranking comes amid renewed attention on education financing across ECOWAS, with experts increasingly emphasising transparent budgeting, efficient resource utilisation and sustained public investment as critical drivers of quality education.
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