The Emir of Kano, Muhammadu Sanusi II, has commended Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf for his significant efforts in addressing the plight of pensioners in the state and paying attention to girl-child education.
Emir Sanusi highlighted that the present administration paid attention to pensioners who had previously been thrown into unnecessary hardship and poverty due to unpaid pensions and gratuities.
In a statement by Sani Abba Yola, Director, Special Duties at the Ministry of Information and Internal Affairs, the Emir emphasised that “the difference between paying attention and not paying attention is sometimes the difference between life and death for the pensioner or his family. Some of them have died. We must always remember that we are all accountable to God Almighty for not fulfilling our obligations to those who served the state for 35 years.”
The Emir praised Governor Yusuf for the recent disbursement of N6 billion in gratuity and death benefit payments to pensioners and the additional release of N5 billion earmarked for continued payments, alleviating the financial burdens on retired workers. The payment of N11 billion within one is certainly commendable.
The Emir of Kano also noted with delight the efforts being made by the governor in improving girl-child education in the state.
The Emir who was speaking during a courtesy call by the Kano State Commissioner of Information, Baba Halilu Dantiye, in company of his Science, Technology and Innovation counterpart, Mohammed Tajo Othman, at the Emir’s palace on Thursday noted that the governor had recorded tremendous achievements in girl-child education by providing shuttle buses and teaching and learning materials.
He emphasised that girl-child education addresses issues such as child marriage, antenatal care, malnutrition and poverty, which need to be solved. He urged the private sector to complement the state government’s efforts in building schools, provision of transportation for students and the school feeding programmes.
Furthermore, Emir Sanusi discussed the critical issue of child nutrition, highlighting its importance for brain development and effective learning.
He cited alarming statistics from 2017, indicating that about 50 per cent of children in Kano were malnourished, leading to weakened immune systems that hampered their growth. He praised the state government for initiating the rehabilitation of nutrition centers and pledged his support in overcoming malnutrition in the state.
The Emir urged elected leaders to fulfill their responsibilities by implementing developmental projects for the well-being of their people. He assured his commitment to working with state commissioners and assured that his doors are always open for advice or consultation.
He expressed confidence that the people of Kano, with their history, resilience, and attitude, can overcome their challenges and prayed to Allah to give them vision, strength, and courage to address issues of pandemic poverty, malnutrition, out-of-school children, and illiteracy.
Speaking earlier, the Commissioner of Information, Dantiye, highlighted some of the achievements of the present administration, especially in education, health, and the payment of retirement benefits. He said the courtesy visit served as a platform for reaffirming the collaborative efforts between traditional leaders and the government to address key issues affecting the well-being of the people of Kano.
