By Abba Hamisu Sani
Africa-Press – Nigeria. In this Interview with Africa Press the Secretary of Inter Party Advisory Council Kano State chapter Honourable Nuhu Idris who is also the State chairman of the Allied People’s Movement – APM, one of the opposition Parties in Nigeria.
Inter-Party Advisory Council is an umbrella of all Nigerian registered Political Parties that serves as an opposition at both Federal and state levels.
The Kano IPAC Secretary spoke about the policies and programs of the Kano State government, attitude of some government appointees and the recent appointment of the son of former Kano governor Rabi’u Musa Kwankwaso who is the National leader of NNPP as Commissioner and member of the state executive Council.
Africa Press -Your Party APM is one of the opposition parties in Nigeria particularly in Kano State, NNPP is the ruling party in the state. What is your view about the policies and programs of the Kano State Government under Alhaji Abba Kabir Yusuf ?
Kano State APM Chairman/IPAC secretary – The NNPP’s government or Kano State government presently has good policies but implementation is their problem because they don’t have the experienced people that can implement the policies.
“As you know NNPP is a registered Political party like APC and others but it didn’t have the qualities of governing the people before the Kwankwasiyya movement joined the party, so when they joined the party people hoped that Kwankwasiyya brought development programs and projects to the state, but what we are seeing now is different because most of the government officials under the NNPP in Kano State are after their interest, not the people interest, this is what we are seeing now” IPAC secretary stated
Africa Press -It was learned that before the court ruling when judgment was ongoing between NNPP and APC there were many projects executed by the Kano State government and later on people are saying the government slowed down interns of executing such projects, what is the situation now ?
IPAC secretary – Now the situation is different when there was the case in court and there was a ruling that said Abba was not the winner of the 2023 governorship election as it stated that some ballot papers were rejected ,Abba or His excellency the executive governor of Kano State was trying to convince the people to have a sympathy on him ,they think that ,that projects they are doing when the case was on ,people will think Abba is the best governor for Kano State, this is what they did and after the case what is happening now is different from what we have seen before, because all the projects they have started are now abandoned, they stopped the projects. So we don’t know what is happening but all we are saying is that they have to consider the people of Kano first before their interest.
Africa Press – So as an opposition what do you do to draw the attention of the government like what APC has done about the 2024 Ramadan feeding amount which it requested the NNPP government to explain and make the real amount public. On your part what do you do?
APM/IPAC Secretary – We did the same , we called on the government to explain to the people of Kano State about that six billion naira ,that they said they budgeted for Ramadan feeding exercise.
And we even ask them to also explain about the food items donated to them by Dangote and at least one hundred trailers of rice from the Federal government. Where are they?
What is happening in government if you are in Kano ,you will be a witness , because the people in the government are doing different things from what the governor is doing himself .This shows that the governor is not in control because most of government officials are disobeying the government directives ,you see this is the problem we are facing in Kano .
Africa Press – So what is your take on the recent issue of appointing the son of Senator Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso as Commissioner by Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf ?
Honourable Nuhu Idris – the governor has every right to appoint any person being an indigene of the state, but I think maybe they have an agenda that is why Kwankwaso pushed his son to be appointed as Commissioner in Kano State government.
“May be they have an underground agenda ,if Abba find himself as big as some body as governor ,so Kwankwaso has every right to replace Abba with his son in 2027 ,so may be they have this agenda ,this is what people are saying in Kano ” Kano IPAC Secretary said.
Africa Press -Are you saying Kwankwaso is trying to be like late Sola Saraki in Kwara State or Sule Lamido in Jigawa state ?
APM Chairman /I PAC Secretary – even more than sola Sarki ,so that is their own agenda .
Africa Press – What is your view with regard to Kano State government intervention on 2024 Hajji fare which provides 500,000 for each intending pilgrims as the National Hajj Commission hijacked the fare with about two million naira ?
Nuhu Idris – In my view, it is a welcome development,we also thank the governor because if you see ,the Hajji fare of this year is almost 8 million naira
and people don’t have the money to pay for it ,so with this 500,000 naira intervention by the governor it will at least reduce the burden of individual intending pilgrims .Our hope is that the promise made by the governor is not just a policy . “So we are waiting to see its implementation, ” Nuhu Idris added.
Africa Press – Now there are so many issues that Kano State government need to focus its attention on ,Kano being the commercial centre of Northern Nigeria ,what is your take on what Kano state government under NNPP’s leadership done with regard to properties demolition ,at some markets like Ed ground ,former Daula Hotel which resulted to the lost of hundreds of billion of naira?
IPAC Secretary – What they did was wrong ,they destroyed the businesses in Kano entirely and to recover it will take time (some years ).
“So my view is that ,you know they have something in mind before they came into the government ,may be because of their own problem with the past administration of Ganduje ,that is why when they came in ,they destroy everything that Ganduje did in Kano State ,so this is a wrong idea and they knew it themselves that ,what they did is wrong ” He stated.
Africa Press – If you may advise the Kano State government under Abba Kabir Yusuf of NNPP interns of his cabinet as you said ,he is not in control of the cabinet ,what suggestions will you make?
Kano APM Chairman /IPAC secretary – Some members of the cabinet were planted by Kwankwaso ,so Abba should be very very careful on those that he is dealing with as Commissioners .
“If you take the issue of the key government officials in Kano ,that is the chief of Staff to the Kano state governor ,people are complaining much about him ,so the governor should look into this ,if there is any thing to do they have to do it immediately to see that the government is running on a good faith ” Honourable Nuhu Idris said.
Africa Press – If the governor refuses to do what is right what is your advice to Kano State people?
Kano IPAC secretary – my advice to Kano State people particularly electorates is that ,they should be very careful in 2027 when it comes to election,they should make sure that they vote for the right person regardless of the political party.
They should avoid sentiments while voting considering what the present Kano state Government is exhibiting which we consider as anti-development.
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Not just in Kano, the problem is near the same in all the States of the Federation. Lack of capable hands.
The root of the problem is politics, i.e political patronage, settlement and godfarism which doesn’t give room for the selection and recruitment of right and capable hands.