Abba Kabir Yusuf, popularly known as Abba Gida-Gida, the new governor of Kano State, signed various executive orders upon his inauguration yesterday, which are said to have started multiple investigations into his immediate predecessor, Abdullahi Umar Ganduje.
In his inaugural address, the governor directed the state’s security services to seize all public properties sold by Ganduje’s administration immediately.
“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 the government,” he said.
Some 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 the 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 stated that all of his efforts in the next days would be aimed towards resetting the state and situating it on the path of honor and dignity, respect and responsibility, as well as progress and prosperity.
Earlier, during the handover ceremony, the new governor chastised his predecessor for delegating the handover of government to his (Ganduje’s) Secretary to the State Government, Alhaji Usman Alhaji, a move the new governor described as “disappointing” and a departure from the established democratic process of handing over the government.
In the report read by the outgoing SSG, Ganduje stated that during his eight years in power, the state government received N1.2 trillion and spent N1.2 trillion, leaving a total debt profile of over N241 billion.
He did, however, say that the state government left certain cash behind through several of its agencies, including around N740 million in the Kano Energy and Hydro Power project and approximately N703 million in the Kano Energy and Hydropower Operational.
However, Yusuf expressed disappointment that Ganduje left a debt profile of over N241 billion for the next administration, stating that this would be investigated.
“It is so disheartening that the government left a debt profile of over N241 billion 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 the people of Kano State. We are going to look at it. I am not satisfied!”
“I pray Almighty Allah to 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.
Creates a task group to combat phone snatching and another for sanitation.
The governor also announced the formation of a task force to combat the threat of phone snatching and other violent crimes on the state’s streets.
“We are aware that one of the major factors that fuel 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 consisting 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.
reports that immediately after the inauguration, the governor visited the institute and met with the staff on the ground to prepare them for the work 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 de-silted 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 dustbins for collecting and proper disposal of wastes and refuse.
