- Garba Shehu has disclosed the benefits Kano state has enjoyed since Muhammadu Buhari became president in 2015
- He stated that the president had restored peace to the state, and also greatly improved the economic situation by focusing on electricity
- Shehu further lauded the president for refurbishing the state’s roads, improving the aviation and rail sector, and also extending his social reform programmes to the state
- Muhammadu Buhari received the highest votes from Kano state, during the 2015 presidential election
The spokesman to President Muhammadu Buhari, Garba Shehu, has disclosed what the president has done for Kano state since he assumed office 2 years ago, Premium Times reports.
Shehu made his comments as President Buhari embarks on a two-day visit to the state.
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NAIJ.com gathers that Shehu stated that the president had worked to restore peace to the previously insecure state which gave him the highest votes during the 2015 presidential election.
He stated: “A few morons who did not in any way represent Islam, a religion of peace, had launched a series of horrendous gun and bomb attacks on the city as they did on a number northern towns and villages.
“The security situation was intensely volatile.
“Men and women leave home to fetch food for the children and later in the day, their dead bodies are brought back.
“The casualties mounted to dramatic levels. On a particular Friday in February 2012, Boko Haram launched a deadly attack on police and other security establishments leaving in its trail, hundreds of deaths and thousands with various degrees of injury.
“In December 2014, suicide bombers and gunmen launched yet another deadly attack on the city’s Juma’at mosque killing 300, leaving hundreds of others injured.”
According to Shehu, by 2015, Kano residents had “lost confidence in the incompetent, corrupt Jonathan administration which they said was not doing enough to protect them against Boko Haram.”
As such, they cast their lot in with Buhari, to salvage the situation, and he did not disappoint.
He stated: “There and then on the inaugural dias, President Buhari began the war against terrorism and insecurity.
“Peace is back, and people are no longer preoccupied with the fear of when the next bomb attacks will happen.
“They are fighting over their favourite football teams. Our men and women are squabbling over who is the best player.”
Shehu further stated that since 2015, the president had revolutionized the state’s economy, especially through improving the electricity situation.
He stated: “Now, things are getting better. The numerous projects put in place to enhance power generation and transmission in particular are being brought to fruition. Records indicate that Kano today enjoys a daily cumulative power supply of about 18 hours.”
The spokesman further listed some ongoing road projects in the state, and disclosed that the president was working to improve the aviation and rail sectors.
He stated: “Presently, construction is ongoing for a new international terminal building at the Kano International Airport, as well as rehabilitation of car parks and service roads.
“A brand new standard gauge rail line will connect Kano and Lagos. This railway development funded through partnership between Nigeria and China has delivered Kaduna-Abuja; and the Lagos-Ibadan sector is under construction, to be delivered by the end of the year 2018.
“Actually, Kano-Kaduna contract would have been signed months ago, but was postponed following Chinese, the funder’s insistence that they wanted to take Kano-Ibadan in one stretch.”
Shehu added that Kano state was one of the major beneficiaries of the Social Investment Programs of the Buhari administration.
In his words: “Following successful awareness creation among the state’s large population of the unemployed and the downward revision of the entry requirements to accommodate NCE and diploma certificates holders, Kano entered more than 80,000 applications for the current wave of N-Power recruits.
“On the Conditional Cash Transfers, Cash Transfer Facilitators have been giving orientation and training; State Cash Transfer Offices have already been set up in the state and enrollments have commenced from the 23rd of November.
“The payment of beneficiaries is expected to start this week; that is the first week of December.
“The Implementation of the Home Grown School Feeding Program is commencing soon. The month of December has been set as the target month.
“The Government Enterprise and Empowerment Program loans through the Bank of Industry are currently being received by traders, artisans and small scale business men and women in the State. The special intervention fund for textile manufacturers is already making possible the return of the industry in Kano and other states.”
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Meanwhile, NAIJ.com previously reported that the streets of Kano state were flooded with scores of Nigerians protesting in support of the administration of President Muhammadu Buhari.
The protesters - including women and children - converged at Shoprite at the Zoo road in Kano city.
They marched through the streets of Kano, Maiduguri Road and Emirs Palace to the Government House in the state, led by the #IStandWithBuhari group.
Are Nigerians truly tired of President Buhari? - on NAIJ.com TV:
Source: Naija.ng