Buhari, Ganduje, And Kwankwaso’s Visit To Kano – By Muhammad Garba
By Malam Muhammad Garba
Penultimate week, President Muhammadu Buhari visited Kano amidst fanfare, despite all the propaganda by the Kwankwassiyya Movement that Mr. President was not going to visit a state that gave him two million votes in the 2015 presidential election. Our detractors, however, covered their faces in shame when on December 6, in spite of all his tight schedules, our amiable President made his trip to the ancient commercial city where he spent two days commissioning projects executed by Governor Abdullahi Umar Ganduje.
Indeed, it was a historic visit that has come to stand the test of time. Shortly after the visit, to further define their closeness, President Buhari insisted that Governor Ganduje joined his delegation to France where he attended the One Planet Summit. This very move further surprised enemies of Governor Ganduje’s administration who spent their resources and time, even using surrogates to stop the presidential visit. They did not succeed as their dreams crashed like a pack of cards.
However, information available to us indicates that former Kano state Governor, Engr. Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso will be coming to Kano on December 30. Already, his supporters and members of Kwankwassiyya Movement have commenced arrangements to welcome their leader. To us, the coming of Kwankwaso is not a problem, but one wonders why it has taken him too long to visit his own state after he left office in 2015. Many important events have taken place in Kano which ordinarily should have attracted his presence, but he boycotted them. During the visit of President Buhari, his colleagues from National Assembly were on the presidential entourage—but Kwankwaso, a serving Senator representing Kano Central Senatorial district did not come. The former Governor also boycotted the burial ceremonies of late Dan Massanin Kano, Alhaji Yusuf Maitama Sule and AVM Mohammed Muktar. He also did not visit Kano to commiserate with victims of Sabon Gari market, Kurmi market, Farm Centre GSM market, Yan Katako furniture market and Singer market fire incidents that gulped billions of Naira. He also did not show up during the Kano Golden Jubilee celebrations.
We understand he is coming primarily to organize his supporters ahead the February Local Government election in the state. Indeed, he is welcome to Kano and we hope his supporters will behave themselves in good manners and avoid breaching the peace that we have been enjoying in the state. However, we advice those organizing his visit to take him round the state so that he will appreciate the good work His Excellency, Governor Abdullahi Umar Ganduje is doing in Kano state. He will be surprised at the rapid development Kano is witnessing under Ganduje’s administration.
Kwankwaso will also be shocked to see that most of the projects he abandoned has been completed by Governor Ganduje’s administration. The organizers of his visit should take him to Kabuga Bridge, a project he abandoned—it has been completed by Ganduje’s administration. He should visit Audu Aboki Bridge abandoned by his administration. It has been completed by Ganduje’s administration.
If he will be visiting his village, Kwankwaso should make a stop at Panshekara/Madobi Underpass and see the wonderful work there. That Underpass which was conceived and completed hundred per cent by Ganduje’s administration is one of the best in Africa. It will interest him to assess the beauty of that project and compare it with the bridges he constructed which are more or less death traps, considering how narrow and badly shaped they are. We also advice the former Governor to visit KASCO, the state-owned agro company, abandoned for 10 years, but has been rehabilitated and revived by Governor Ganduje with state-of-the art equipments. Kwankwaso can also patronize KASCO by using his constituency project fund to purchase fertilizer for members of his constituency who have continued to complain that the former Governor who is now a Senator abandoned them. Kwankwaso will also be shocked if he goes to Muhammadu Buhari Specialist Hospital in Gingiyu and the Zoo Road Orthopedic hospitals and see what Ganduje has done with tax payers’ money. Those two hospitals commissioned by President Muhammadu Buhari have been adjudged among the best in Africa with world-class equipments. He should also drive through the CBN quarters road recently commissioned by President Buhari and see the quality of work there.
It will interest Kwankwaso to observe that most of the projects he abandoned have been completed by Governor Ganduje as work is ongoing in other ones such as the Murtala Mohammed Way Fly Over, Sabon Gari Fly over, Wuju-Wuju Road, Dakata Bella Road, New Road (Phase one), Yahaya Gusau road, among others.
Indeed, the coming of Kwankwaso to Kano is a welcomed development because he will be greeted with surprises to see that Ganduje, within a space of two years has been able to do what he could not do in four years. He will leave Kano with a lasting memory of how the state is gradually being transformed into a megacity. We believe that his visit will avail him the opportunity of appreciating Governor Ganduje’s giant strides and as well have a rethink on his needless attack on the performing and people-oriented administration of Governor Ganduje. Once again, we urge him and his supporters to behave themselves in good manner and avoid plunging the state into unnecessary political crisis.
Nobody is stopping Kwankwaso from coming to Kano; he is the one stopping himself all this while. Nobody is afraid of Kwankwaso’s visit to Kano because it will not in any way add value to the development of the state. He is only visiting Kano for his own political interest. We wish him well and we believe he will not end up being perturbed over the rapid development Kano is currently witnessing under the administration of Governor Abdullahi Umar Ganduje. We remain committed to the development of Kano state, we remain committed to serving the good people of Kano state by providing the needed infrastructure and encouraging human development.
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Malam Muhammad Garba is Kano state Commissioner for Information, Youths and Culture.
