THESHIELD Garkuwa
Related Articles
Press Statement
Kano Emirates: “I Have No Constitutional Right To Interfere,” Says President Buhari
In what appears like putting a stop to all speculations that President Muhammadu Buhari said this or that concerning the Kano Emirates development, the President dispelled all those behind the scene statements when he said it categorically clear that he has no constitutional right to interfere in the Kano Emirates discussions.
He made the revelation when governor Abdullahi Umar Ganduje took to the Presidential Villa the newly elected legislators, 3 members of the House of Representatives and 4 members of the State Assembly under the platform of All Progressives Congress (APC),
with the exception of One out of the Three House of Representatives members, from Kiru/Bebeji federal constituency, Ali Datti Yako, who was elected on the platform of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), who was also there at the event, for official introduction to the President, Friday.
All those legislators taken to the President were those that were recently elected in re-run elections that took place in the state few days back.
He said, “I know my role as the President of Nigeria. By the constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, the Governor of Kano State has his own roles, once a matter is in the hands of the House of Assembly (like in Kano), the President has no constitutional right to interfere. I am here by the constitution, I swore by it, and I am going to stand by it.”
He advised the newly elected legislators that, “I hope you are mindful of your promises to your constituencies. You went round and you promised your constituencies. I hope the promises you made are within the resources of your State. If you made promises outside your resources, it will be your problem because you are going to stand again in four years time. This is very important and it is important for our party.”
In his remarks Ganduje thanked President Buhari for the visible presence of the federal government in his state, Kano, that were manifested in some projects he listed, like the Kano – Abuja road reconstruction, construction of modern railway from Kaduna to Kano, and from Kano to Niger Republic, among others.
Others are Gas pipeline from Ajaokuta to Kaduna and from Kaduna to Kano (AKKK), continuation of the abandoned dualisation of Kano – Katsina highway. So also the construction and equipping of the New Terminal Wing of Mallam Aminu Kano International Airport.
“We are also appreciative of the efforts being put by the federal government in the areas of security and education in the state. This is highly commendable,” he acknowledged.
To also showcase some of the efforts being put in place by the state government in the area of security, governor Ganduje disclosed that, “We have done a lot in the area of security, even installing CCTV cameras in black spots and all major routes into Kano state. We also have a multi-purpose vehicle for monitoring, which has helped in arresting kidnappers and Boko Haram terrorists. We have also established an Army Training Area.”
On the menace of out-of-school children, governor Ganduje said, “We used to have One Million out-of-school children but now we are down to about 400,000 on account of the new education policy which now makes schooling free and compulsory from basic to secondary school, complemented with free feeding, free uniforms and free instructional materials.”
By way of further strengthening the free and compulsory education and the integration of the Almajiri system of education he added that his administration recruited 600 Mathematics and English teachers. While 3,000 teachers for Almajiri schools for the purpose of integration system.
“Your Excellency our President, we are kindly requesting Federal Government intervention for the completion of the Kano River Irrigation scheme, establishment of a Federal Medical Centre and Desilting of the 24 Dams in the our state,” Ganduje prays.
Those in the company of the governor to the Presidential Villa, were all members of the National Assembly (Senate and House of Representatives) from Kano state, Speaker of the House of Assembly and other principal officers, Emir of Bichi, Aminu Ado Bayero who represented other Emirs, members of the business community like Alhaji AbdulManafi Yunusa Sarina, the owner of Azman Air, members of the Academia, like Prof. Ibrahim Umar, former Vice Chancellor, Bayero University, Kano, Ulama among others.
Abba Anwar
Chief Press Secretary to the Governor of Kano State
Friday 7th February, 2020
fatimanbaba1@gmail.com
