Local

By Muhammadu Sabiu 

The 10-megawatt Tiga Dam hydroelectric project has been completed.

 This was announced by the Kano State Government through Hadiza Tukur, managing director of Kano Hydro and Energy Development Company (KHEDCO).

The power plant, according to Mrs Tukur, will supply power to the city’s street lights as well as the state’s water treatment facility in Tamburawa.

She said the Nigerian Electricity Management Services Agency has not yet certified the power facility (NEMSA).

“In the power plant, we have two generators, one is vertical, which will generate 8 megawatts of power capacity, and the other one is horizontal, which will generate two megawatts of power making ten megawatts. That is why it’s called Tiga ten megawatt power generation station.

“Everything is being completed pre-commission test is ongoing. What remains is the certification of the Nigerian Electricity Management Services Agency (NEMSA).

“Another thing waiting for is also automation when it’s completed, we are going to open the water and allow it to rotate the turbine. We have gotten permission from the Hadejia Jama’are River Basin Development Authority.

“The Eight megawatts are being tested without a load, but in the next two weeks, we are going to test them with a load. The same applied to the two megawatts,” she was quoted as saying.

By Uzair Adam Imam

The Kano State Ministry of Education has announced Sunday, January 8th, 2023, as a resumption day for all boarding public and private primary schools for the commencement of the 2nd term academic session.

A statement by the Director Public Enlightenment Ministry of Education of the state, Aliyu Yusuf, disclosed this on Saturday.

The statement added, “While expressing appreciation for the cooperation and support been [sic] accorded to the ministry, Commissioner Rt. Hon. Ya’u Abdullahi Yan’shana urged Parents/Guardians of Pupils and Students of the schools to ensure compliance with the approved resumption dates.

“The Commissioner who also wished the students and pupils successful commencement of the 2nd term Academic session, however, warned that appropriate disciplinary action would be taken against defaulting students,” the statement added.

By Suhaibu Safiyanu Bagwai

Indeed, one of the most important developmental aspects of modern Nigeria is the growth of public opinion, which, aided by universal education and the mass media, can today keep the government in check as has never happened before. We can still march on through our fastidious conscience and occasional rebellion or our constant prodding of society’s leaders for better things. Even in a perfect world, there will always be men who will dream of other worlds, of better things, since not everyone is likely to be enthused by their current world, let alone someone who lives in Kano, a state that is riddled with corruption, social insecurity and illiteracy, bloated by debts and battered by economic volatility, poorly planned buildings and poor refuse disposal and management, to mention but a few.

Kano is one of the seven ancient Hausa kingdoms, and the principal inhabitants of the state are the Hausa people. A commercial nerve centre of Northern Nigeria, the “Centre of Commerce”, with a population of about 20 million people. The large population of people and the ease of doing business in the state have added to the crowded nature of the state. Nevertheless, it has maintained its commercial status for centuries, although the economy is friable, despite the inconsistent government policies and sporadic electricity supply, which hamper the manufacturing industry. Kano’s economy relies primarily on trade, retail and services.

Over the years, Kano has encountered enormous urbanisation challenges, ranging from rapid population growth, overcrowding, increasing vehicular and industrial pollution, high rates of out-of-school children, and urban poverty resulting in many environmental issues. Compared to its neighbouring states, Kano is faring better; but when put on a realistic scale, it is devastatingly poorer! Thus, every Kano citizen dreams of seeing that the major problems bedevilling the state are properly checked, and I am not an exception.

Looking at the population of Kano, one will find how it grows at a hysterical height. Rural-urban migration is at its peak; the city is overpopulated with people who leave their hometowns for greener pastures. That makes the city dirtier and unhealthy to travel around. But why the rural-urban migration increases every day? This is the question we seldom ask.

Nigeria’s current economy is debilitating; the inflation rate is high. The recent statistics of multi-dimensionally poor Nigerians rise to 65%, and 75% (of this percentage) live in rural areas. This shows that the urban-rural poverty and unemployment margin is wider, hence the rise in rural-urban migration. However, this is something that is not uncontrollable. Job creation and providing basic social amenities will go a long way in solving this problem. Offering loans, fertiliser and seeds to our small-scale rural farmers and making sure they reach the target people and introducing government and private agencies aimed at educating the farmers on how to make a good harvest, storage and sale will boost our agricultural produce, create job opportunities, diversify our economy and reduce the rural-urban migration drastically.

Reading the statistics of the number of out-of-school children in Kano and seeing it myself in my hometown, Bagwai, scares me the most. A society that invests less in education is stagnant and hopeless, with little or no future. Over the years, our government’s educational policies could have been better planned and executed. For instance, the current government’s introduction of the “Free and Compulsory Education Scheme” has, owing to poor planning and execution, ruined the education system. Before the scheme’s introduction, students used to pay 700 naira per term, which was used for the management of the school and pay teachers, mostly volunteers, some tokens. Now that the fee is removed, teachers – that are primarily voluntary – become scarce, and the principals and the head teachers cannot raise the money to pay them or manage the schools. It is the government’s responsibility to look for a way out. Unfortunately, public schools have remained neglected since the law was passed.

Many students drop out of school due to dilapidated buildings, overcrowded classrooms, scarcely qualified teachers, and poor teaching and learning atmosphere and facilities. Therefore, the government should look deeper into this scheme and make immediate improvements. In addition, the sectoral allocation in the education ministry should be increased. We have thousands of well-trained, unemployed education graduates ready for recruitment.

Kano is notoriously known for political thuggery, and it is one issue that perversely mocks my hope of a better Kano. However, I learned that most are either unemployed or school dropouts. Thus the creation of rehabilitation centres, youth empowerment schemes, sporting activities and public enlightenment programs will help reduce it.

Although there has been some development in the road network of the Kano metropolis, the number of vehicles at some road injunctions exceeds the road’s designed capacity. The trading activities along the major roads and inadequate planning obstruct efficient road transportation in urban Kano. Poorly planned buildings in our major markets, mostly built on water passages, blocks the water passages causing water to flood when it rains, which leads to the loss of lives and properties worth billions of naira – as it happens yearly – and obstructs the easy passage of vehicles whenever there is an accident or a fire outbreak in the markets. I dream of seeing some of the major markets relocated from their present locations or their buildings re-planned and trading activities along the roads banned, providing them with space for their businesses. More bus stops and parking spaces should also be provided to prevent indiscriminate parking and to stop at prohibited places.

One of the most disturbing environmental problems we face is refuse dumping on the streets outside our homes and any unused space in our neighbourhood, including open sewers and ponds. We produce almost 2,000 tonnes of garbage daily, but the sanitation workers can only approximately dispose of 800 tonnes. The remaining 1,200 are piling up on the streets and alleyways of the city, posing severe health risks to the inhabitants and blocking water passages. That is why the city is always dirty! Therefore, through REMASAB, the government should provide sufficient equipment for refuse disposal and the general public, who mostly needs a culture of refuse disposal, be enlightened on the dangers of improper refuse disposal and how to control it.

Bringing traditional and religious leaders closer to the government will influence public adherence to some governmental policies since the citizens are religious. The leaders are also influential. There should also be an establishment of a law that will restrict religious leaders from using abusive or provocative language during their sermons and preaching.

The poor supply of electricity and acute dearth of pipe-borne water in Kano can also be reduced if the government were to utilise its resources accordingly. Kano is blessed with almost seven major dams that can generate hydroelectric power, like the ones done at Tiga and Watari dams, providing adequate electricity and water supply for public and industrial usage. The surroundings can also be used for hotels and tourism by building amusement parks which can generate revenue for the state and create jobs.

The agency responsible for revenue collection, KIRS, needs to be redressed and transparent. The government’s spending should also be transparent to the public to know where and how their taxes are spent.

If I were to advise the government and the budgetary committee, I would suggest they determine budget priorities so that resources can be directed to issues of higher priorities and the proposed plans to be in line with the projected range of resources for each government agency. That will also compel the government to make hard choices between using available resources to start new projects or completing the existing ones. For instance, this year’s priority is education; new teachers recruited, buildings renovated, wages increased, teaching and learning facilities provided and so on. Then, next year will be the health sector, followed by commerce, water, electricity, agriculture, and sports…in the subsequent years. This will go a long way in tackling our problems.

Finally, I believe that hopeless as she may seem, Kano is not beyond redemption. We just need the will to do that. This is my dream, and I believe it is everyone else’s!

Suhaibu Safiyanu Bagwai is among the winners of the 2022 “The Kano of my dream” writing competition jointly organised by Muhsin Ibrahim, PhD, and The Daily Reality online newspaper. He can be reached via bagwaisafwan@gmail.com.

By Ibrahim Abubakar

In the late 1890s, my great-grandfather narrowly escaped the evil claws of the Mahdi’s hostile and belligerent lieutenant, Rabeh Bn Fadlallah, who had invaded Borno to spread the Mahdist ideology. They sacked the empire’s capital of Kukawa, captured and executed Sheikh of Borno, and enslaved many people. This martial excess sent trembles across the land, and many thought it wise to migrate westward into the Sokoto Caliphate for safety. Among those who migrated to the Caliphate was my great-grandfather, Mamadou. Of its two dozen emirates, Mamadou chose Kano as his refuge.

Kano was the jewel of the Sahel, a centre of trade and commerce with walls 50 feet high and immensely thick, surrounded by a deep artificial gully making it an impenetrable fortress; a marvel to behold! It is this sense of security and opportunity, I believe, that made Kano a desirable place for my ancestors.

During colonial times, Kano increased in its majesty. The British administration modernised trade and industry, built hospitals, schools, and railways and improved the justice system by integrating and superbly implementing strategies that supported the rule of law and ameliorated the superficial old system. Kano’s commercial strategies were carefully designed to produce a positive net economic effect. For example, hide, skin, groundnut, animal feeds, meat and textile were exported to Britain. These export plans were supported by long-term government programmes that continued into post-independence Kano.

According to a World Bank report, Kano State’s mainstay is agriculture. It employs about 60% to 70% of the population producing rice, maize, millet, groundnut, beans, etc. Livestock production is another source of income for the farmers. The industrial output is from oil mills, textiles, tanneries, flour mills, and several others.

As the centre of commerce, Kano handles about 75% of finished goods from Lagos, Ogun, and Oyo industries. These are distributed to all the northern states and the neighbouring states of Niger, Cameroon, Chad, etc. From Kano, the following are exported: semi-finished leather, cotton lint, gum, hibiscus, sesame seeds and other minor items. All of the above have immensely contributed to enhancing Kano’s GDP as one of the highest in the country.

Unfortunately, the contemporary situation is rather bleak. Most of the factories have closed or have reduced their production capacity. Kano had about 30 tanneries producing over 45 million goats and sheep skins for export. In addition, over 7 million cattle hides were processed as finished leather for making shoes and other leather goods. However, there are only a dozen tanneries in production today. As for cattle hides, 90% of it is consumed in southwestern Nigeria as Ponmo or Ganda. In addition, cattle hides are imported from neighbouring countries and Mali, CAR, Sudan, and Saudi Arabia. The last textile to close was Angel Spinning and Dyeing Limited.

It is not a hidden fact that education has crumbled in recent years. Many children in Kano are poorly educated (the lucky ones?) and without a solution in sight. Although I am aware that education has exacerbated globally, for example, my father, 48 years older than me, is better educated in most branches of general learning. Kano is in the top five states in the country with substantial numbers of out-of-school children.

Healthcare facilities across the state are in a deplorable state. For example, the last time I visited the A&E department of a general hospital in Kano, I was sickened by the gruesome sight of accident victims on the floor, literally bleeding to death. In addition, there is an enormous disparity in the doctor-to-patient ratio, albeit not the worse in the country. It is, however, in the top ten states lacking doctors, with a ratio of 1 doctor for every 14,123 persons. To put it into perspective, the UN standard doctor-to-patient ratio is 1:600.

Kano used to be safe. Growing up, very few isolated incidences of theft were heard of in the city. Today, people get robbed in broad daylight. Thieves with sharp knives of all shapes and sizes attack people on the streets to rob them of their phones and other belongings; those who refuse to comply are fatally stabbed without remorse. Rape cases are rising exponentially. This year alone, over 1,300 cases of rape were reported. It is sad to see Kano vitiated.

The Kano of my dreams is the Kano my great-grandfather fell in love with. A Kano where there is opportunity and hope for everyone regardless of gender, ethnicity, or religion. A Kano where I feel safe walking any street at any hour of the day or night. A Kano where women can feel comfortable around men without fearing harassment or misogyny. A Kano with subsidised agricultural products such as fertilisers and an established avenue for creating liaisons with agencies that will be responsible for borrowing funds from the banks of industry and agriculture for the benefit of farmers, and this will increase productivity as well as employment.

Similarly, the Kano of my dreams will create an investment agency to secure funds from the Bank of Industry for the closed tanneries/factories and companies at low capacity. This will enhance business activity and employment. Furthermore, the Kano of my dreams will utilise Tiga Dam power generation to supply electricity to the industrial areas of the state and set a good precedence for the future supply of power to the entire state, either through hydroelectricity, solar energy, or thermal power.

The Kano of my dreams is a Kano where children are given quality education regardless of the social and economic status of the family they come from. A Kano where children do not go around begging for food on the streets. The Kano of my dreams is a Kano where hospitals are abundant, and doctors, nurses and other healthcare workers have all the needed equipment to make their jobs easier. A Kano where the large, proposed sports complex at Kofar Na’isa is turned into a colossal state-of-the-art medical centre to cater for the entire country. A Kano where neighbours assist one another.

I dream of a Kano where the rich invest more in local small-scale industries to boost production and employment rather than holidaying abroad and boosting the economy of the colonial order neglecting their brothers and sisters at home languishing in abject poverty. Lastly, the Kano of my dreams will have excellent and selfless leaders that genuinely care about the advancement of the state and will put in their utmost to see to it becoming the gem that it was, if not better than it was in days of yore. In sha Allah!

Ibrahim Abubakar won the 2^nd position in the 2022 “The Kano of my dream” writing competition jointly organised by Muhsin Ibrahim, PhD, and The Daily Reality online newspaper. He can be reached via ibrahimabubakhr@gmail.com.

By Ahmad Deedat Zakari

Zazzau Emirate Council has debunked the rumours that a title holder of the Emirate was arrested on the ground of sodomy.

Spokeperson of the Emirate, Malam Abdullahi Aliyu Kwarbai, in a statement issued on Thursday, said the suspect is not a title holder of the Zazzau Emirate but one of the Emir’s servant.

According to him, Shehu Umar Ciroman Baraya, who was accused and arrested is one of the Emir’s servant (Bawan Sarki) and not a title holder of the Emirate as claimed.

He added that the media should always verify claims concerning the Emirate Before rushing to the press and that the misleading reports be corrected immediately.

He said: “The attention of Zazzau Emirate Council has been drawn to the News in the Media that a “TITLE HOLDER” of the Emirate has been arrested for Sodomy.

For the record, the Emirate Council would like the General Public to note that the arrested suspect (SHEHU UMAR CIROMAN BARAYA) is one of the Emir’s Servant (BAWAN SARKI) and NOT a TITLE HOLDER of the Emirate as claimed.”

By Uzair Adam Imam

A young man who murdered his stepmother in Kano, Sagiru Wada, was sentenced to death by hanging by the Kano State High Court on Thursday.

The man was arrested some eight years back after killing his stepmother, Zainab Dan-Azumi, and subsequently cut her into pieces with a sword.

Justice Aisha Mahmud, who presided the judge, said the court was satisfied with all the evidence presented before the court.

She added that the court convicted Wada under Section 221 of the Kano State Penal Code, adding that the prosecution counsel had proven their case beyond reasonable doubt.

However, Barrister Rabi’u Abubakar, who was the defence counsel, argued that the suspect was mentally ill.

However, the court rejected his claim reiterating that the evidences presented before the court were enough to convict Wada of murder.

By Ahmad Deedat Zakari

Nigeria Meaningful Adolescent and Youth Engagement Working Group (Naija MAYE) has called for the involvement of youths in politics and urged political parties to ensure health and development agenda in political parties manifestos in the country.

The call is an aftermath of a one-day summit organized by MAYE and held at Belmont Hotel in Abuja on Wednesday.

In a press statement signed by the Chairman of MAYE, Olympus Ade Banjo and other leaders of the group, the group charged the Nigeria political class to ensure the involvement of youths in politics and prioritize health and development in their party manifestos

The group also lamented the slow implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). They noted that many Nigerians are yet to experience the economic and political dividend of the SDGs.

At the end of the summit, Naija MAYE was quoted to have made the following suggestions:

1:- “Ensure inclusivity of youth health and development agenda in all 2023 party manifestoes blueprints, and campaign messages.

2:- Review the Basic Health Care Provision Fund (BHCPF) to recognize adolescent and youths as part of vulnerable population by improving access to quality youth friendly health care services.

3:- Adopt innovative and diverse approaches in financing social health insurance for young people taking into consideration that they are about 70 percent of Nigeria’s population and the high rate of unemployment which is about 40 percent.

4:- Ensure National Council on Health should approve reduction of age of independent access to sexual and reproductive health services including HIV testing from 18 to 14years.

5:- Ensure a comprehensive range of sexual and reproductive health services required by diverse groups of young people is integrated into training curriculums of healthcare providers at all levels of training
Ensure that policies supporting youth and female engagement in governance is actively implemented. Ordinary people should be given opportunity to serve from the local government to the Federal level.
Strengthen Micro Finance to give reduced interest rates to young people’s mini and small scale businesses.

6:- Create meaningful occupational counselling structures for young people in secondary schools and institutions.”

By Ahmad Deedat Zakari

The management of Federal University Lokoja (FUL), has demanded that more than one thousand students of the institution pay the sum of one thousand naira for their unruly behaviour in the varsity’s campus.

FUL Registrar & Secretary To Council, Dr Rebecca Aimiohu Okojie disclosed this in a memoir she signed and dated Wednesday, December 14, 2022. She noted that the students destroyed a school property and were rude to the members of staff of the university

Consequent of the alleged bad behaviour, the school management requested that the students must do the following:

1. Payment of one thousand naira ( N1000) at resumption in January 2023.
2. Evidence of payment to be presented at Student Affairs Division in order to be cleared to write examination
3. Presentation of Stamped Affidavit of good behaviour from High Court.

The management further condemned the act and urged the students be be of good character.

Part of the memoir reads:

“Management notes with discomfort the unruly and highly condemnable behaviour you displayed during the CBT examination that took place on 6th December, 2022 at the ICT centre Felele Campus. The said unruly behavior behavior led to the damage of university property, in addition to you being rude to Principal Officers at the venue

Federal University Lokoja as an institution of transformative learning, whose certificates and honours must be bagged by students found worthy in both character and learning, has neither place nor tolerance for the kind of reprehensible displayed during the examination under reference.”

However, The Daily Reality gathered that not all the students affected by the general punishment were present on that day for the examination.

An affected student who spoke to the Daily Reality on the ground of anonymity said it was the lack of coordination on the part of the institution that caused the chaos that led to a door being damaged.

“It was lack of coordination that led to chaos and a door being damaged as a result. Many exams were already taken that day and thousands of students couldn’t write the examination. Many suffocated and fainted as a result of their way the school handled the situation.”

By Muhammadu Sabiu

Reports reaching The Daily Reality show that gunmen stormed certain towns in Gombe State on Friday night, leaving three people dead.

Unknown armed individuals assaulted the villages of Amtawalam and Pobaure in the state’s Billiri Local Government Area on Friday night, according to Adamu Kupto Dishi, the commissioner of homeland security for Gombe State.

Dishi confirmed the incident on Saturday following an emergency State Executive Council meeting chaired by Governor Muhammad Inuwa Yahaya of the state.

“We responded immediately to calls about the attack by mobilising security operatives, including the police, the military and our local vigilantes, to the area. So far, the State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA) has carried out assessment for immediate deployment of relief materials,” he said.

Security agents are presently conducting an investigation to identify individuals responsible for the heinous act, the commissioner assured.

By Ibrahim Garba.

Since the announcement of the success of oil discovery by the Muhammad Buhari-led administration through Nigeria National Petroleum Company, NNPC Ltd., people from different parts of the country rejoiced over the milestone achievement.

However, the development came with many controversies by the citizens who are, in one way or another other, have a direct or indirect connection to the development that is from some groups of people and individuals from the host community.

Immediately after the ground-breaking ceremony, which was attended by his Excellency President Muhammad Buhari, Bauchi State Governor Bala Muhammed, the Group Managing Director NNPC Mele Kyari, among other dignitaries in Nigeria, an argument broke between the neighbouring states, Gombe and its mother state Bauchi, about who owns the Kolmani oil well.

Besides, Bauchi may be right to claim the ownership of Kolmani oil because the oil well is located in Barambu, a village under the Alkaleri local government area of Bauchi state. Bauchi cites the presence of their governor at the breaking ceremony as one of the reasons that they own the oil well.

Gombe state, on the other hand, has more than a reason to claim the ownership because of their closeness to the point where the oil was drilled. Therefore oil as liquid stuff cannot just be for Bauchi alone.

Unfortunately, farmers operating within the host community of MaiMadi, Kwaimawa, among the other 7sevencommunities, complained that they were not paid for the damage done to their farmlands during the oil drill.

Among them, one claimed the ownership of the Kolmani oil well, which according to him, was inherited from his father and yet to be compensated. Also, the report indicates that workers who served during the seismic operation were not adequately paid but only promised to be paid on unspecified dates.

Farmers and other people from the host community should be well informed about the operation of that kind to seek entitlement associated with the oil drill operation in their localities.

With the allegations above, one must note with dismay challenging the Public Relations section of that particular for failing the Social responsibility service expected to render to those communities.

Above all, what Nigerians need to know is how much we need to poster national development above our interest to build Nigeria of our dream. We should also learn from the experience of our people down the south. There is a need for cooperation and mutual understanding between the two states, the farmers, and the entire host community to benefit from such a remarkable achievement. 

Ibrahim Garba writes from Bauchi.