The new governor of Kano State, Abba Kabir Yusuf, popularly known as Abba Gida-Gida, after his inauguration yesterday issued several executive orders believed to have heralded several probes of his immediate predecessor, Abdullahi Umar Ganduje.
In his inaugural speech, the governor ordered the security agencies in the state to immediately take over all public properties sold by Ganduje’s administration.
“I am announcing, today, that all these public places and assets that were immorally plundered and sold by the Ganduje administration should be taken over by law enforcement agencies, led by the Police, the DSS, Civil Defense, and Hisbah pending the final decision of government,” he said.
Some of the properties the governor was referring to include “lands in and around schools, religious and cultural sites, hospitals and clinics, graveyards and green areas, and along the city wall of Kano”, as well as other landed properties and assets belonging to Kano State within and outside the state to their cronies and agents.”
He said judicial commission of inquiry would be empaneled in the coming days “to ensure that all perpetrators and those that aided and abetted them are brought to justice.”
He also ordered that “all political appointees heading government MDAs and companies are hereby relieved of their appointment with immediate effect.
“Similarly, all boards of MDAs, companies and institutions of higher learning are hereby dissolved with immediate effect,” he added.
He said all the actions he would be taking in the next few days were targeted towards resetting the state and repositioning it on the path of honour and dignity, respect and responsibility, as well as on the path of progress and prosperity.
Earlier, during the handover ceremony, the new governor berated his predecessor for delegating his (Ganduje) Secretary to the State Government, Alhaji Usman Alhaji, to make the handover of government, a move the new governor described as “disappointing” and a departure from the established democratic process of handing over of government.
In the report read by the outgoing SSG, Ganduje said in the eight years he held reign, the state government received a cumulative of N1.2trillion and also had a cumulative expenditure of N1.2trillion while leaving behind a total debt profile of over N241bn.
He, however, said the state government left behind some funds through some of its agency including about N740m in the Kano Energy and Hydro Power project and about N703m in the Kano Energy and Hydropower Operational.
But Yusuf said it was disheartening that Ganduje left a debt profile of over N241bn for the incoming administration, saying this would be probed accordingly.
“It is so disheartening that the government left a debt profile of over N241billion for us. Where are we going to source the money the IGR they talk about is nothing to write home about.
“The money they realized through Kano Internal Revenue Service was nothing to write home about. Why the use of so many consultants? Just like rain conduit for the resources of people Kano State. We are going to look at it. I am not satisfied!
“I pray Almighty Allah reward him (Ganduje) according to what he did for the state. We are not here to steal money, we are not here to grab their lands. We are here to work and by the grace of Allah, we will achieve all we set out to achieve within the next four years,” the governor said.
Sets up task force against phone snatching, another for sanitation
The governor also announced the formation of a taskforce to tackle the menace of phone snatching and other violent crimes perpetrated on the streets of the state.
“We are aware that one of the major factors that fuels these criminal activities is the consumption of illicit drugs.
“I am, today, announcing the formation of a Special Joint Taskforce to prevent phone snatching and other street crimes comprising of teams of law enforcement agencies and mobile courts that would work together to clear our streets of these criminals and bring all of them to justice swiftly.
“The Kano State Reformatory Institute, Kiru will be reopened soonest for the purposes of rehabilitating drug addicts,” he added.
Immediately after the inauguration, the governor visited the institute and met with the staff on ground to prepare them for the works ahead.
He also announced the immediate set up of a Taskforce on Refuse Disposal, Evacuation of Drainages and Streets Cleaning (Operation Nazafa) comprising yet-to-be unveiled different stakeholder groups.
“In the coming days, I will officially launch a state-wide campaign with self-help groups to drive the operation. In the next few weeks all the dumps will be cleared, all our streets will be clean, all our drainages will be desilted and a sustainable system of maintaining the cleanness and clearing the dumps will be in place,” he said.
To drive the campaign to keep Kano clean, he announced that from June 1, all vehicles plying the roads of the state must have a dustbin in them, and all businesses – including shops and stalls – should also have dustbin for collecting and proper disposal of wastes and refuse.
… Vows to reopen Doguwa’s murder case,
The governor vowed to reopen the case of murder against the Majority Leader of the House of Representatives, Alhassan Ado Doguwa.
The immediate past Attorney-General and Commissioner of Justice of the state, Musa Lawan, had, last week, announced that the state government had resolved to drop all charges bothering on murder and arson earlier preferred against Doguwa.
Doguwa was earlier arrested, arraigned and remanded for allegedly ordering and taking part in the alleged killing of about 15 persons during the February 25 Presidential/National Assembly Election in Tudunwada, one of the two local government areas that make up his Doguwa/Tudunwada federal constituency. He has vehemently denied this allegation.
Yusuf said he would review the case as well as other electoral offences perpetrated during the past eight years of the administration of his predecessor, Abdullahi Umar Ganduje.
“We shall investigate all cases of political violence that led to loss of lives and properties across the State in the last eight years.
“The infamous case of Alhassan Ado Doguwa, who allegedly sponsored the maiming and murder of over 15 innocent souls in Tudun Wada Local Government will be pursued to its logical conclusion,” he said.
He added that “The numerous victims of the Ganduje campaign of violence, using thugs that were being intoxicated with drugs will not be left unchecked.”
“In order to prevent future occurrence, a judicial Commission of Inquiry will be put in place to ensure that the perpetrators and their sponsors are brought to justice and the families of the victims of political thuggery are also entitle to justice,” he said.
Yusuf also said his administration will pursue the case of Dadiyata, a member of the Kwankwasiyya Movement, who was kidnapped and last heard of five years ago.
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