Kano State

By Ibrahim Uba

Many observers have already concluded that no gubernatorial election in Kano has ever drawn more aspirants like the forthcoming 2023 election. There are over ten politicians who are vying for the governorship position. All these contenders have started their publicity campaigns, creating political razzmatazz on social media, radio stations, and across every nook and cranny of Kano state.

I carried out some research about each of the aspirants and also studied their campaign activities carefully. Some appear to lack experience and competence to govern the great Kano state, while others adequately fit the job. But I form an opinion that Bala Gwagwarwa, of SDP, is the overall best for the following reasons:

1. Of all the aspirants, Gwagwarwa is the only one who held leadership positions in all three tiers of government — local, state and federal. He served as local government chairman, commissioner for water resources; commissioner for science and technology; and national treasurer of the All Progressive Congress (APC). None of the other aspirants has as huge hands-on administrative experience as he does.

2. From his interviews and speeches, Gwagwarwa is very aware of how people suffer from growing poverty, especially in rural communities. He also seems to understand all the needs clearly and wants of the Kano people. The recurrent statement in all his speeches is that:

 “When I am elected as the governor of Kano, my administration will prioritise vital sectors of the economy. I will not concentrate on insignificant projects of building flyovers and underpasses which have nothing to do with the economic progress of the people. My administration will  empower the poor and restore the autonomy of local governments to help the development of rural communities…”

3. Moreover, while the rest candidates are campaigning through splashing money and political mobilisations, Gwagwarwa’s campaign focal point is explaining his blueprint and plan of action. He is fully prepared and ready to swing into action from day one. I was awed at his recent interview on radio stations, where he skillfully explained ways to revitalise small business owners in Kano.

4. Gwagwarwa is also well-educated and visionary. Moreover, he is a man with a good disposition and charisma that the Kano people will be proud to call their governor.

I hope the good people of Kano state will pay attention and vote wisely. Any aspiring candidate who is inexperienced and/or without a manifesto doesn’t deserve our votes. We tried many, but they failed us. Our inability to vote for the right people is the main problem.

May Allah make the best of choices for us, Ameen!

Ibrahim Uba wrote from Kano via ibrahimuba752@gmail.com.

By Muhammadu Sabiu

Dr Sani Isah Abba, a specialist in optimization algorithms and artificial intelligence from Kano, had made it to the global list of the top 2% of scientists in their field by a joint research evaluation metric developed by Stanford University’s Elsevier and the Meta-Research Innovation Center.

Abba is a certified engineer and a lecturer at Base University Abuja, Nigeria.

According to a document obtained by The Daily Reality (TDR), Abba has published more than one hundred research articles and book chapters.

He also presented at numerous regional, national, and worldwide conferences.

The academic did his BSc, MSc and PhD at Bayero University Kano, Sharda University India and Near East University Cyprus, respectively.

TDR understands that his works can be accessed on Google Scholar, Research Gate and ORCID, among other academic platforms.

By Uzair Adam Imam

The New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP) and Civil Society organizations, under the Auspices Alliance for Good Governance, demanded the immediate prosecution of the APC Chairman, Aminu Ali Shana.

The APC chairman of Yautan Arewa, Gabasawa LGA, was arrested on Friday by the police in possession of over three hundred permanent voter’s cards (PVC) in Kano.

A statement issued and signed by Hon. Abdullahi Ibrahim Rogo, the Kano Publicity Secretary of the party, demanded legal action against the chairman.

It was gathered that the police has already transferred the suspect to the department of criminal investigation (CID) of Kano state command in Bompai for further investigation.

The NNPP said it will pursue this case to a logical conclusion in the interest of protecting democratic principles.

The statement says, “The offence is contrary to sections 21 and 22 1 (a), (b) and (c) of the electoral act 2022 as amended.”

It also stated that the NNPP chairman of Kano State, Hon. Umar Haruna Doguwa had directed the party’s legal team to file a petition against the suspect and his core sponsors.

“I directed our legal advisor to also write to the electoral umpire (INEC) to as a matter of responsibility pursue necessary action on the matter” Doguwa confirmed in the statement.

He said the issue of PVC hoarding subsections source of major concern in Kano ahead of the 2023 general elections.

“We are naturally vindicated by this arrest, we keep our fingers crossed as we await the next steps to be taken by both the Independent National Electoral Commission and Nigeria Police,” he added.

By Uzair Adam Imam

Bayero University, Kano (BUK), has emerged as the first in the north on the Times Higher Education 2023 World University Rankings list. 

Topping the list in the north, BUK is the fourth in Nigeria, with the University of Ibadan emerging as the best in the country.  

The University of Lagos is the second, while Covenant University is the third in the ranking in Nigeria. 

BUK, being the first varsity in Kano, was established in 1975. It currently has over fifty thousand students.

The University of Oxford emerges as the best university in the world, followed by Havard University, the University of Cambridge Standford University. 

BUK students, alums, and some of the university’s lecturers took to their social media spaces to jubilate the success.

By Uzair Adam Imam

Former Kano State governor, Senator Kabiru Gaya, said the All Progressive Congress (APC) was not worried by the growing strength of the New Nigerian People Party (NNPP).

The senator said NNPP would only strike terror into the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) as the party would split the votes that belong to the PDP. 

He stated that the APC would sweep the votes in all the electoral positions, predicting that the New Nigeria People’s Party (NNPP) would come second while the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) would come third.

Gaya disclosed this to journalists in Kano when he was debunking the rumour going around that the vice president, Yemi Osibanjo, was sidelined in the formation of the presidential campaign team of APC. 

He said the information was misleading and fake and that Osinbajo remained committed to the presidential ambition of the APC candidate, Bola Ahmed Tinubu.

He said, “I am a member of the Tinubu campaign team, so the issue of sidelining anyone does not arise. Even the president has said he wants Osinbajo to be with him in running the affairs of the country to ensure a seamless handover.

“There is nothing like Osinbajo is sidelined because, after the primaries, we were in Osinbajo’s house when Tinubu came and said he needed our support. We had over two hours’ discussion. They are working together. Politics should not divide us,” he stated. 

By Musa Idris Panshekara

Dear Sir,

I am Musa Idris, an ex-student of Government Secondary School (GSS) Panshekara.

Mr Chairman, news has been spreading like wildfire all over the town that you are planning to sell some parts of GSS Panshekara or build staff quarters on the land.

Mr Chairman, this news became a nightmare not only to the ex-students or the students but to the entire people of Panshekara.

Mr Chairman, I want to let you know that the school bear its name “GSS Panshekara” because it is located there, under Kumbotso local government. The people benefitting from it are not limited to the people of Panshekara or Kumbotso local government. Still, the school accommodates some students from some parts of Madobi and Gwale LGAs.

Mr Chairman, with your plan of selling or building staff quarters in the land, do you know the school has two sections, one in the morning and the other in the evening, senior and junior classes, respectively? This is happening not for style but because of the insufficient classes to accommodate all the students contemporaneously.

Moreover, the school does not have a friendly and conducive learning atmosphere, despite the overpopulation of students per class. As old as the school is, it has no more than four classes with sufficient seats for the students, not to mention the worn-out ceilings and floors which even you, you can not rear your animals inside one of it. The problems are not limited to that – some classes were previously used but are no longer in use now due to the lack of funds for upkeeping them. Nonetheless, about eight incompleted classes have been without cemented floors for over a decade.

Mr Chairman, there are countless problems the school has: liable scientific laboratory, biological garden, etcetera.

Therefore, no one asks you (if so) to rehabilitate the school from your pocket but the local government treasury. If there is no sufficient amount in the local government treasury, you can refer it to the state government. If the state cannot grant, nobody forces you to intervene in rehabilitation.

Mr Chairman, selling this land for the rehabilitation of the school is inept and inappropriate; moreover, it is a lack of priority if you think of building staff quarters on the land. There are previous chairmen before you who left without glancing at the school. So you are not the first and will not be the last. If you could/would not give your contribution, you can leave the school as it is.

In conclusion, Mr Chairman, do not be deceived by all these people parading behind you like a queen bee. They are parasites who would only suck your blood and throw you away. They will not be with you when you leave your position or with you when you go to your grave.

Mr Chairman, I urge you not to consider yourself or people like you. Instead, please consider the vulnerable children of poor masses coming in the 20, 30, 40 years, whose parents can not afford to take their children to private schools.

Mr Chairman, remember that Boko Haram use weapons to kill students, and teachers and destroy schools brutally. So please, you should not use your office to destroy our mother school in the name of reviving the school.

Yours,

Musa Idris Panshekara

By Uzair Adam Imam

A one-story building reportedly collapsed Friday in Kano and killed two siblings aged 15 and 11, while the eldest of them, aged 17, was rescued alive.

A statement sturdy by the Kano State Fire Service spokesman, Saminu Abdullahi, disclosed this on Saturday.

The statement stated that the house was located in the state’s Kofar Mata Hauren Gadagi area.

It reads, “At approximately 10:50 p.m., we received a distress call from one Jamilu Salisu-Zango stating that the 50 feet x 40 feet structure used as a dwelling house had collapsed from the top floor.”

“We dispatched a rescue team to the scene, and the three siblings were extracted from the rubble.”

Abdullahi said that two of them were unconscious and had been rushed to the Murtala Muhammad Special Hospital for medical attention.

He added that doctors, as immediately as they arrived, confirmed the deaths of two of the siblings.

According to him, their corpses were turned over to police at Kofar Wambai Police Station for further investigation.

By Lawi Auwal Yusuf

Drug addiction suffers a death blow occasioned by the outstanding performance put up by the Youth Against Drug Abuse Foundation (YADAF). It is sure that this name now rings a bell in the Nigerian anti-drug crusade by breaking new ground and marking a turning point without historical precedent. Moreover, it has distinguished itself as the leading figure among its peer NGOs.

This voluntary organization was first set up in Lagos in 2017 and in Kano in 2019. It is propelled by its leading force Hajiya Fatima Bature Jikan-Danuwa, its founder and CEO. This great heroine dedicated her life, wealth and everything in her arsenal to realize her dearest wish of extirpating drug abuse. This real gem has an old hand in this national service and carried off multiple awards coupled with eulogies from different quarters.

YADAF is always motivated by its firm conviction that our youth means everything to us. They are the firmament upon which the development of society rest and its future custodians. This makes the team have a penchant for empowering the young to become enterprising, industrious and productive. They derive pleasure from this community service and are always in high spirits to improve the youngsters’ lives. They are so ecstatic to see them living a good everyday life.

It depresses us to see our lads doing drugs, which consequently deals a blow to our society. We are dead scared to see them engaged in this outrageous behaviour which is so detrimental to their health, badly denting their future and lest becoming a nonentity. In 2021, National Drugs Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) reported that 40% of Nigerian youths between 18-35 were heavy drug users. This is an awful statistic.

Thus, YADAF felt duty-bound to swing into action and band together with the relevant stakeholders to face the problem squarely. It fights tooth and nail to contain this social upheaval. The problem’s exacerbation never dampens its enthusiasm, nor does the challenges dash its hopes. On the contrary, it remains impulsively committed to its cause. Indeed, its devotion to this job is commendable.

The management presents mass awareness campaigns through TV and radio programmes, public lectures, dissemination of helpful information across different social media platforms, leaflets etc., aimed to dissuade adolescents from engaging in this criminogenic behaviour or ditching it entirely. Furthermore, they expose the evils of this act and extol the virtues of abstaining from it altogether.

Lack of sound education and professional training is a leading cause of this devilish act. Although skills are increasingly becoming more valuable in the labour market, their absence necessitates the young to either remain redundant or wander the street to make ends meet.

This explains why YADAF introduced its Back To School Programme to sponsor drug-addicted juveniles, dropouts and the rehabilitated back to school. Under the scheme, hundreds of such teenagers, including those considered vulnerable to drug abuse, have been registered in both primary and secondary schools. For instance, 347 children benefited from this programme last week, while preparations are underway for the next set.

Furthermore, providing full employment with prospects helps the young develop a worthy stake in the social order. Also, it makes them preoccupied with a legitimate way of earning a decent living, hopeful of a secured future. This motivates them to work harder, become righteous and avoid anything distracting the realization of their dreams.

This speaks to the establishment of the YADAF Skills Acquisition Center to make youths dexterous artisans become self-reliant. It is a costly mistake to leave the young to their own devices or keep them at a distance. Therefore, this centre is furnished with state–of–the–art facilities to help them learn useful skills to realize their potential.

Moreover, we encourage the young to participate in sports activities which enhance community cohesion and a sense of belonging. We promote a sports culture that keeps them away from doing drugs and leads to fitness. The effectiveness of sports is so absolute in promoting peace, unity and curbing crime.

Our strategic approach is to improve the sporting career, enticing more demand for sports industry athletes. This will facilitate the development of our local players to become competitive champions globally.

As the evils of drug abuse are obvious, all hope is not lost for our most resilient youths. On the contrary, the coming of YADAF makes us feel so good that we are on the right track to securing their long-lost potential.

Lawi Auwal Yusuf Maikanawa is a fellow of YADAF, Kano State Chapter.

By Habibu Maaruf Abdu

The maiden edition of the Kano International Film Festival was held from 28th to 30th September 2022 in Kano, the iconic epicentre of Northern Nigeria’s Kannywood film industry. The festival, organised by Classical Film Modern Academy, is billed to hold annually to promote the film industry and build its personnel’s capacity. The Kannywood filmmakers have fully participated in the festival, which came a few months after their collective boycott against a similar event, the Zuma International Film Festival (ZUFF 2022).

Themed ‘Content Connectivity’, the festival received over 50 films from 15 countries. Among its 20 official selections are Harsh Living (UK), Wade in the water (US), The Irish Barn Dance (Ireland), Cemetery Hunt (Brazil), Everything collapses (Italy), I am a chance (Belgium), and Love trap (Cameroon).It also featured paper presentations, panel discussions, a masterclass, a film screening, and Award Ceremony.

The three-day occasion kicked off on Wednesday, 28th September 2022, with paper presentations and round table discussions at the Grand Central Hotel in Kano city. The first paper on  ‘Film regulation’  was presented by the zonal director of the National Film Censorship Board, Mr Umar Fagge. It was followed by papers on  ‘VFX technology’ and  ‘English subtitle’ by Mal. Inuwa Tofa and Kabiru Musa Jammaje, respectively.

The second day of the festival saw its founder, Captain Musa Gambo, leading a masterclass at the Classical Film Modern Academy in the morning before the event later moved to Platinum Cinema to screen the Kannywood films nominated for awards in different categories. The films include Murjani (Dir. Sadiq N. Mafia, 2018), Sadauki (Dir. Hassan Giggs, 2019), Bana Bakwai (Dir. Ali Nuhu, 2020), Tsakaninmu and Sarki Goma Zamani Goma (both Dir. by Ali Nuhu in 2021), and more.

The historic film festival ended Friday, 30th September 2022, with an award ceremony at the Grand Central Hotel. The award event, hosted by Jamilu Yakasai, recorded a massive turnout of actors, directors, and producers, alongside dignitaries such as the SSA to the Kano state Governor on Kannywood affairs, Mal. Khalid Musa, and the industry’s pioneer trade analyst, Mr Usman Jibril (Solo). However, superstars like Ali Nuhu, Adam Zango, and Maryam Yahaya, who are also part of the award winners, were absent from the ceremony.

On the other hand, Kannywood’s highly respected elder, Alhaji Ibrahim Mandawari, whose name was alleged to be unjustly removed from the recipients of the ‘Life Time Achievement Award’ in this year’s edition of the Zuma Film Festival, has received the same ‘Life Time Achievement Award’ at the event.

Below is the complete list of winners:

Best Actor: Adam a Zango for Sadauki

Best Actress: Maryam Yahaya for Sarki Goma Zamani Goma

Best Supporting Actor: Alhassan Kwalle for Sadauki

Best Supporting Actress: Aisha Najamu for Sarki Goma Zamani Goma

Best Director: Ali Nuhu for Sarki Goma Zamani Goma

Life Time Achievement Award: Ibrahim Mandawari

Best Film: Sarki Goma Zamani Goma (Abubakar Bashir Mai-Shadda)

Best Series: Izzar So (Lawan Ahmad)

Best Screenplay: Yakubu M. Kumo for Sarki Goma Zamani Goma

Best Cinematograhy: Murtala Balala for Sarki Goma Zamani Goma

Best Production Design: Mairo Abdullahi for Sadauki

Best lighting: Usman Usee for Sarki Goma Zamani Goma

Best Sound: Shamsu Glo/Sani Candy for Sarki Goma Zamani Goma

Best Editor: Mailafiya Abdullahi

By Uzair Adam Imam

Over two thousand people, including university lecturers and students, graduated from the Engausa Global Technology Hub.

The graduates were trained in various skills ranging from science and technology.

The founder and chairman of the technology hub, Engr. Mustapha Habu Ringim, disclosed this in an interview with journalists on Wednesday to mark this year’s United Nations World Teachers Day.

Engausa was founded in 2019 and registered in 2022 and recorded numerous successes in teaching people various scientific and technological skills to depend on themselves and become employers of labour.

Engineer Habu said English and other languages inhibit learning progress, especially in northern Nigeria.

He stated, “It doesn’t mean that we are not developed when we teach in our mother tongue. Knowledge can be taught using any language.

“Later, one can learn any other language he feels interested in, like English, Arabic or French.

“But it is not wrong to learn in your mother tongue, as many people perceive. For this reason, we, among others, admit even almajiri, who have no background in western education and are school dropouts, into Engausa Global Technology Hub and teach them in Hausa.

“Today, many such dropouts and almajiri have become teachers in Engausa. They even teach university graduates, MSc and PhD holders as well.”

We give emphasis on the practical aspect

Unlike in tertiary schools and other institutions of learning, the Engausa Global Technology Hub gives emphasis on practical aspects than theories.

This, however, enables the students to fully understand the subject matter rather than mastering theories and definitions of concepts.

Ringim added, “More than 90 per cent of what we do in Engausa is practical. The theoretical aspects do not exceed 10 per cent.”

Unemployment worsens insecurity in Nigeria

Ringim also argued that the rising insecurity in Nigeria is not unconnected with the high unemployment rate in the country.

Insecurity has been one of the ongoing challenges facing Nigeria, especially in the northern part, over the years.

He stated, “We need to know that teaching our youths some skills is one of the panaceas to the lingering security challenge in Nigeria. Therefore, society needs to welcome inventions of this sort.

Engausa is gaining global recognition and support from Federal Government and academics like Prof. Abdallah Uba Adamu, Prof. Hafizu Miko Yakasai, and Engr. Isa Musa Gumel, Prof. Idris Muhammad Bugaje, Dr Binta Usman, Dr Hauwa Muhammad Bagaje, among others.