Kano to wear new look in October

Kano metropolis is to wear a new look in October this year as series of developmental projects aimed at turning the capital into a mega city are set for commissioning, Kano Chronicle can report. The projects to be commissioned in the historic month, according to the state Governor, Dr Abdullahi Umar Ganduje include  3-kilometer Murtala Muhammad flyover, Kofar Ruwa […]

Kano metropolis is to wear a new look in October this year as series of developmental projects aimed at turning the capital into a mega city are set for commissioning, Kano Chronicle can report.

The projects to be commissioned in the historic month, according to the state Governor, Dr Abdullahi Umar Ganduje include  3-kilometer Murtala Muhammad flyover, Kofar Ruwa interchange underpass-flyover, Dangi interchange underpass-flyover, Tiga Independent Power Project (IPP) and several other road projects across the state.

Since assumption of office on May 29, 2015, the governor has executed various projects across the state. Most of the areas prioritised by the administration comprise education, infrastructure, health and agriculture among others.

Addressing a press conference in commemoration of his 3rd anniversary in office, Ganduje said the Tiga IPP and Murtala Muhammad way flyover would be completed in October, while the Kofar Ruwa interchange underpass-flyover would be ready for commissioning between August and September this year.

He said the Gyadi-Gyadi interchange underpass-flyover would be completed around November-December this year, adding that the duration of the contract was nine months.

These and many other infrastructural projects when completed, the governor said would beautify the state.

He said, “In order to make Kano a mega city, we have to construct more roads to provide smooth traffic flows. We have to provide adequate electricity energy to make our companies functioning and to attract more investors. The Tiga IPP is expected to provide 13.7 megawatts of electricity when completed.”

Ganduje said his administration had also introduced two programmes, Lungu Kal-Kal and Karkara Salamu Alaikum to improve roads network in urban and rural areas respectively.

The governor also explained that the state was able to fund most of its capital projects with Internally Generated Revenue (IGR) funds, as the state was generating up to N3bn monthly.

He, however, regretted that less than 10 per cent of the eligible tax payers were paying their taxes to government in the state, assuring that government would continue to tax the rich in order to serve the
poor.

On the light rail project, Ganduje said the project was divided into phases and that a contractor was selected for the job which would commence soon.

He said, “Federal government is currently negotiation with a Chinese company on the issue of interest. Even last week, the company officials had discussion with Federal ministry of finance on the
project.”

Ganduje assured that his administration was committed to the project and many others capital projects which would ease transportation within the state.

Presenting the review of activities of the government in the education sector in the last three years, Deputy Governor and the state’s Commissioner of Education, Professor Hafiz Abubakar, said Ganduje-led government had inherited dilapidated schools structures and spent billions of naira in fixing them.

He said, “We have constructed over 3,000 classroom blocks across the 44 local government areas. Built 16 number 2-storey classroom blocks in some selected schools with a view to decongesting them and distributed over 274,499 3-seater chairs to various schools in order to curb the issue of children sitting on floors.

“When we assumed office in 2015, we discovered that about 25,486 teachers did not have the minimum qualification for teaching profession. In a bid to improve the quality of education in the state,
we came up with an initiative under which we sponsored some teachers for training in order to meet up with the minimum teaching requirements. So, over 2,000 teachers have obtained their NCEs while
over 20, 000 others are still undergoing the training in various colleges of education in the state.”

On his part, the Commissioner for Local Government, Alhaji Murtala Sule Garo, commended the governor for the achievements recorded in the area of roads construction in both urban and rural areas, noting that “roads and bridges in many local government areas such as Rogo, Tudun Wada, Bunkure, Sumaila and Warawa are at various stages of completion.”

Presenting his report, the Commissioner for Health, Dr Kabir Ibrahim Getso revealed that within the period under review the state government had improved the quality of life through building, renovating and upgrading of healthcare facilities in various communities across the 44 local government areas.

He described Muhammadu Buhari specialist hospital and Sheikh Isyaku Rabi’u pediatrics hospital located in Giginyu and Zoo road respectively, as land mark achievements of the incumbent government.

On his part, the Commissioner for Justice, Barrister Mukhtar Ibrahim, said the state government had employed 35 lawyers into the ministry of justice in the last three years.