Kano— Governor Rabiu Kwankwaso of Kano State has reiterated that his administration inherited N77 billion and $210 million debts from the Malam Ibrahim Shekarau’s administration on assumption of office in May.

Kwankwaso said this when he met with members of the Nigerian Guild of Editors, NGE, at the end of a meeting of its Standing Committee meeting in Kano.

He said that apart from the debts, other problems facing the state included education, inadequate water supply, corruption, a bloated workforce, unemployment and the challenge posed by commercial motorcyclists.

Kwankwaso said that to boost education in the state, his five-week-old government had revoked the previous government’s sale of buildings at the Nasarawa Yard, Kano.

The governor said he had directed the state Ministry of Education to establish a junior/secondary school there, and gave an assurance that the schools willbe functional by September.

Kwankwaso said he had also directed state and Federal Government agencies occupying
classrooms at the 84-year-old Rumfa College, Kano, to relocate.

He said that the directive was meant to decongest the classrooms, some of which, he said, currently accommodated 120 students.

The governor added that the state’s ICT complex, which had been unoccupied since its completion in May 2003, would also be used for educational purposes.

According to him, Ado Bayero University, Kano, and the Kano State University of  Technology, had signified their interests to use the place.

On water, he said that efforts were ongoing to provide an independent power supply source at the new Tambura Waterworks to boost supply to all parts of the state.
“My target is to supply water to all towns and villages in Kano State in my first 100 days in office,” Kwankwaso said.

He decried the high level of corruption in the state’s civil service, noting that this had manifested in the inability of relevant agencies to provide an accurate record of the state’s workforce.
Kwankwaso regretted that although he left a work force of 25,000 in 2003, current records put the figure at between 40,000 and 45,000.

The governor said that consequently, his government had directed that the workforce should be screened and ghost workers flushed out to get the accurate figure.

He further said that a recent audit of the state’s accounts revealed that N10 billion in cash was siphoned through what was termed “reciprocal arrangement”.

Kwankwaso also spoke on his revocation of the controversial ‘Kofan na’isa plots’, explaining that he did that because the original intention, when he applied to NAMA,the original owners of the property, was to create an open space for recreation.

He regretted that the plots were allocated to influential people in the state, saying, however, that no individual, no matter how highly placed, would be allowed ownership of land there.

The governor said to reduce the challenge posed by about two million commercial motorcyclists in the state, the government had begun making efforts to train them and provide them with alternative businesses.

Kwankwaso said that it was because he was anxious to tackle all challenges that he quickly set up his cabinet and appointed heads of agencies barely one month after he assumed office.
According to him, the State Executive Council has held three meetings since he assumed office.