NEWLY elected Governor of Kano state, Dr. Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso has promised to justify the confidence reposed on him by the people of kano State.Kwankwaso, who triumphed over Alhaji Salihu Sagir Takai of the All Nigerian Peoples party (ANPP), by a narrow margin has also extended the hands of fellowship to all his rivals, to move Kano forward.Returning to the Kano government house for the second time, Kwankwaso has given insight to the areas that would preoccupy his administration in the next four years.He said, We are determined to revamp the education sector by restoring provision of free feeding and uniforms to primary school pupils and address problems bedeviling tertiary institutions in the state.Reflecting on his previous experience between 1999 and 2003, he said, If we had not performed, nobody would talk of the PDP in kano. We came during a very difficult period when we received the mantle of leadership from the military. Even to change the orientation of the people was very difficult at that time; even the offices were in a disorganized state. If you are talking about our developmental agenda, I will say that is our area of specialization. We had the University of Technology Wudil, in Kano; we built several tertiary institutions like the school of environmental studies. When we came, the college of education was with 5000 students but by the time we left, we had over 11,000 students. We built bridges, roads, we ensured free education, free feeding, free uniforms in primary schools and we ensured that our workers were paid their salaries every 25th, unless the month ends on a weekend.We gave a token of N5, 000 to women as capital to create wealth. We took all these welders, carpenters, tailors and mechanics and gave them capital to ply their trades. So much has happened; and money has gone round, unlike now. We built 3,000 houses at Danladi Nasidi housing estate; built 100 units of houses for permanent secretaries at medium cost and several other things. And most importantly, there was discipline. We had the Murtala Mohammed library, the Ado Bayero house at Kofar Nasarawa, the governors lodge in Abuja.What the ANPP led by Shekarau talk about is human development, but when you ask them what they mean by that, they would say during the Ramadan period, they throw Akara and pap at our people. Is that human development I expect them to take care of students in the schools so that they can come out and become doctors, engineers, journalists and teachers. It shouldnt be all about throwing Akara and Pap at our people when their children are at home taking the best food and schooling in the best schools. So, in our time, we placed emphasis on education and all other things that can improve the lives of our people. When we started, Ahmed Garba Bichi was at KASCO, we bought all the materials we needed, produced fertilizer and even sold it to the federal government, and we even sold it to the neighbouring states and even Niger. But since Shekarau came, the whole thing folded up.Continuing, he said, ask them what they did with the trillion they collected Just recently, they shared hundreds of millions of dollars but nobody is talking about it in Kano, nobody is seeing anything on ground. The people of Kano are like a small boy that has been canned severally that after series of cries, they are now fed up and tired of complaining. When we were working and building roads and other projects for our people, there was so much complaint, that we did not do enough. But now there is nothing to be seen, let alone complaints.We had over 5000 electrification projects and there was none that I didnt inspect. The roads, culverts and schools I inspected, because if I give you money to do electrification, I make sure it is done. We were there for four years and now they are there for eight years. The civil servants, the Ulamas and all other people are seeing the difference. Go to Kano now, it is in a very sorry situation. We have worked very hard for Kano but its unfortunate that Kano is in a sorry state now. Look at this issue of electricity; we have 23 dams in kano. Just two of the dams that require turbines are enough to provide electricity. We started the projects; the Russians were ready to do it and we had signed agreements and everything with no kobo from our side, but they said if we do that from Challawa gorge to kano, the wires would consume the electricity. It was a company from Russia that was willing to do it and sell to us. They abandoned it. The irrigation project in kunchi local government was also abandoned. We also had Imawa project, even though they are both federal government projects, they sabotaged it. So we have got several government projects that ordinarily would have been completed in kano today but that has been sabotaged. Look at the flyover across the eastern bypass, the flyover at Kofar Nasarawa are all being sabotaged because they dont like the PDP government.
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