- They’re established to enhance economy – Governor Yusuf
- More worries for Ganduje as Kano government files fresh suit over alleged corruption
Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf of Kano State on Tuesday assented to the Kano State Emirates Council Bill 2024 which was passed by the state assembly earlier in the morning.
The signing of the Bill into law allows the establishment of three second-class emirates within the state.
This was disclosed in a statement by the Governor’s Spokesman, Sunusi Tofa on Tuesday.
Tofa said, “This development underscores our unwavering commitment to preserving our traditional institutions and cultural heritage, recognising them as essential pillars of peace and heritage conservation.”
Yusuf also urged the newly established emirates to diligently serve humanity, saying that the state government would reveal the names of the new emirs soon.
Championed by Deputy Speaker, Muhammad Bututu, the bill aims to elevate Kano’s status to that of a first-class emirate, with Rano, Gaya, and Karaye identified as second-class emirates.
As stipulated in the bill, the newly established Rano emirate will encompass Rano, Bunkure, and Kibiya local government areas.
The Gaya emirate will include Gaya, Albasu, and Ajingi local government areas, while the Karaye emirate will cover Karaye and Rogo local government areas.
The second-class emirs of these emirates will be answerable to the Emir of Kano.
They will possess the authority to counsel the Emir on matters concerning public order, territorial disputes, communal conflicts, and religious affairs within their respective domains.
Second class emirates created to enhance economy – Governor Yusuf
Meanwhile, the Kano State Governor, Abba Kabir Yusuf, has said that the three new Second Class Emirates were created to enhance economic viability and bring the people closer to the government.
The governor said this while signing into law the new Second Class Emirates Council Bill presented to him by the Speaker of the State House of Assembly, Jibrin Falgore on Tuesday.
He said the Assembly has discharged yet another constitutional responsibility by passing the bill into law.
“The action of the State Assembly is yet another testament of the government’s commitment to recognize the constitutional roles of local government and the Emirates Council and the role they play in developing the state.”
The governor urged the newly established Emirate Councils to work in tandem with constitutional provisions and be law abiding in the discharge of their duties.
“The Councils will enhance local government and traditional cultural viability and preserve their heritage, the passage was in response to the yearning of the people.
“I urge the newly established Emirates to work in harmony with Kano Emir, Muhammadu Sanusi II, for the betterment of the state,” the governor added.
He said the government would soon announce the new Emirs who will take charge of the new emirates.
Also, the Speaker of the State House of Assembly, Jibrin Falgore, said the Kano State Emirate Council, 2024, Act is aimed at improving the economy of the areas and bring people closer to the government,
More worries for Ganduje as Kano government files fresh suit over alleged corruption
However, there are more troubles for the National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress, Abdullahi Ganduje, as the Kano State government filed a fresh suit against the immediate past governor before a Kano State High Court.
Also joined in the fresh suit is Ganduje’s erstwhile Commissioner of Justice and Attorney General, Musa Lawan.
A copy of the suit filed by the prosecution counsel, Auwal Abdulqadir, indicated that the state government was dragging the respondents before the court on four-count charges bordering on criminal conspiracy, breach of trust, criminal misappropriation, and making false statements.
The charges read, “That you, Dr. Abdullahi Umar Ganduje male, adult together with you Musa Abdullahi Lawan male, adult, between the periods of November, 2022 or thereabout, in Kano, in the Kano Judicial Division in your capacity as a public servants, to wit, the Governor and the Attorney General/Commissioner For Justice of Kano, in the service of Kano State government and being charged with the receipt, custody and management of public funds of Kano state, fraudulently and dishonestly without reasonable justification in abuse of your respective offices conspired between yourselves, misappropriated, diverted and converted the sum of Two hundred and forty million Naira (N240,000,000) to finance purely personal and private case for your own personal and private benefit thereby causing wrongful gain to yourself and wrongful loss to the Government and People of Kano State and thereby committed an offence of Criminal Conspiracy contrary to Section 96 and punishable under Section 97 of The Penal Code (as amended), CAP. 105, Vol. 2. The Laws of the Kano State of Nigeria
“That you, Dr. Abdullahi Umar Ganduje male, adult together with you Musa Abdullahi Lawan male, adult, between the periods of November, 2022 or thereabout, in Kano, in the Kano Judicial Division in your capacity as a public servants, to wit, the Governor and the Attorney General/Commissioner For Justice of Kano, in the service of Kano State government and being charged with the receipt, custody and management of public funds of Kano state, fraudulently and dishonestly without reasonable justification in abuse of your respective offices ‘conspired between yourselves, misappropriated, diverted and converted the sum of Two hundred and forty million Naira (N240,000,000) to finance purely personal and private case for your own personal and private benefit thereby causing wrongful gain to yourself and wrongful loss to the Government and People of Kane State and thereby committed an offence of Criminal Breach of Trust contrary to section 311 and punishable under section 315 of The Penal Code (as amended), CAP. 105, Vol. 2. The Laws of the Kano State of Nigeria, 1991.
“That you, Dr. Abdullahi Umar Ganduje male, adult together with you Musa Abdullahi Lawan male, adult, between the periods of November, 2022 or thereabout, in Kano, in the Kano Judicial Division in your capacity as a public servants, to wit, the Governor and the Attorney General/Commissioner For Justice of Kano, in the service of Kano State government and being charged with the receipt, custody and management of public funds of Kano state, fraudulently and dishonestly without reasonable justification in abuse of your respective offices conspired between yourselves, misappropriated, diverted and converted the sum of Two hundred and forty million Naira (N240,000,000) to finance purely personal and private case for your own personal and private benefit thereby causing wrongful gain to yourself and wrongful loss to the Government and People of Kano State and thereby committed an offence of criminal misappropriation contrary to section 308 and punishable under section 309 of The Penal Code (as amended), CAP. 105, Vol. 2. The Laws of the Kano State of Nigeria.
“That you, Dr. Abdullahi Umar Ganduje male, adult together with you Musa Abdullahi Lawan male, adult, between the periods of November, 2022 ог thereabout, in Kano, in the Kano Judicial Division in your capacity as a public servants, to wit, the Governor and the Attorney General/Commissioner For Justice of Kano, in the service of Kano State government and being charged with the receipt, custody and management of public funds of Kano state, fraudulently and dishonestly without reasonable justification in abuse of your respective offices conspired between yourselves, misappropriated, diverted and converted the sum of Two hundred and forty million Naira (N240,000,000) to finance purely personal and private case for your own personal and private benefit thereby causing wrongful gain to yourself and wrongful loss to the Government and People of Kano State and thereby committed an offence of Making false statement or return contrary to and punishable under section 26 of The Kano State Public Complaints and Anti-Corruption Commission Law 2008 (as amended).”
The suit was also attached with four prosecution witnesses list and their statements.
However, no date has been fixed for the commencement of the trial.
Recall that last week, a similar court presided over by Justice Amina Adamu ruled that the former governor, Ganduje, his wife, Hafsat, son, Umar Abdullahi Umar, and five others were to face trial in absentia in a case bordering on eight counts of bribery allegation, misappropriation, and diversion of public funds running into billions of naira.
