•Says sycophants behind rumours of rift with Kwankwaso

The story of Abdullahi Umar Ganduje, governor of Kano State is typified in the African proverb that the patient dog eats the fattest bone. The governor is also seen by many people as an embodiment of loyalty and partner in progress. At the dawn of democracy in 1999, Ganduje sought the ticket of the People’s Democratic Party, PDP to become governor of his state. But he ended up becoming the running mate to Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso. They won the election and were sworn in. But in 2003, they lost the bid for a second term. When Kwankwaso was appointed Minister of Defence by ex-president Olusegun Onasanjo, Ganduje also served as the Special Adviser (Political) to the minister. In 2011, the pair returned for their second term in Kano. At the point of exiting office, Kwankwaso made way for his deputy and today, Ganduje is the elected governor of Kano State. Eight months into office, Ganduje spoke to newsmen in Abuja on the challenges of office, the alleged frosty relationship with Senator Kwankwanso among other issues. Excerpts:

By Levinus Nwabughiogu

Reducing cost of governance

We have saved a lot but it isn’t easy to quantify in terms of facts and figures but two things are very important; first the attitude towards governance by the administration and by the people and secondly the physical reduction in the cost of governance. I told you I reduced the ministries from 19 to 14.

I slashed the salaries of political offices holders by half. So by simple arithmetic, you will know that things have been reduced. Also, I established a new project payroll, all our contracts are being publicised, all our council deliberations are publicised. So, you can see the issue of transparency in Kano and definitely that is leading to the reduced cost of governance in Kano State.

Peace initiatives with Igbo, Yoruba communities

I want to carry them along and I will like to inform you that two months ago we connected in an interface conference which was done live and it consisted of all nationalities, all religious groups and we will continue to coexist together and I have constituted a permanent interface committee where there is a meeting from time to time.

Primordial claims

Kano State Governor, Abdullahi Ganduje

Also to show that those who are staying with us in Kano are mainly those living in Sabon Gari and I made it a point of deliberate policy to provide some facilities in Sabon Gari. Right now we are constructing a new road and very soon we will start constructing another in Igbo Road. I was there and the celebration was very high. In fact, I no longer call them non indigenes.

I call them indigenes of Kano state with primordial claims from where they came from. That is their new designation. They are not foreigners. They are also indigenes of Kano State but it was a primordial claim from where they came from.

The state of the Almajiri schools and their contributions to the development of education in Kano State

Almajiri schools; the last federal government introduced it but the school is not well articulated. It was a wrong policy. For example in my village, we have these schools. It is only 50 students and in Kano we have over 3 million Almajiris and the number of Almajiri is almost a problem to the number of school children so the issue is not creating a school.

If you are creating an Almajiri school, that is abnormal. Who will like to be tagged Almajiri? Is it that after completing your studies your certificate will be tagged Almajiri? And later in life you will be called a graduate of Almajiri School? Which means you were an Almajiri before. So, it has some social problems. What we are adapting is integration.

The Almajiri are integrated into the normal school system and from our investigation most of the Almajiris in Kano came from other parts of the North, from Chad and Niger Republics. So, we have concluded that the Almajiri schools should be integrated into the normal school system and any Mallam who is coming with over 200 hundred children from another state should allow the children to be integrated in the school or he should take his children back to his state.

I think that is a more sustainable idea rather than building schools. How many schools can you build? It is difficult. So, it is better you integrate it.

Sustainable idea

I wrote a letter to Mr. President and I told him the statistics of the Almajiri and I told him the method we have taken but that will require a lot of money because you need more infrastructures, more teachers, more materials for teaching and so on but that is a starting point.

On alleged rifts between him and his predecessor, Senator Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso?

Definitely, there was a good relation with the former governor. We met 30 years ago and it wasn’t only in governance that we met. We met outside. I was his deputy for 14 years.

There are two things that are really important, firstly know the roles of sycophants; from his side and my side that will like to benefit if we have problems but we have been talking.

Secondly, no two individuals are the same, even identical twins have differences in their emotions, philosophy, and the way they interrelate with others.

This is a natural thing. The style may not be the same but the objective may be the same and to some, a change of style may be a challenge, not agreeing with the former system but that is not so.

If you put these two things in mind sometimes you find things happening here and there. But I assure you, we are together. We are still building what we had before.

If I criticize him, that means I am criticizing myself but that doesn’t mean that if I fine-tune, that doesn’t mean the other man was wrong. If I consolidate, that doesn’t mean the other man is wrong.

The economy has changed, the cost of petrol has dropped and do you think business as usual can continue? When circumstances change, definitely there must be a change in the management of public affairs.

PDP and 2019 and response to Sheriff

I don’t like to engage in crossfire but I will like to tell you it is the normal utterances of those who will want to impress his followers but I believe it is an empty threat. Looking at the history of the chairman himself, I think he is a cross carpeter, he is always on the move, changing from one party to another.

Even when he was in ANPP for 8 years he was working for PDP and even the APC started with him and then he went back with PDP and in the long run he will work for us.

Intelligence information

That is what I believe, we are happy because we believe in the long run, he will work for us. Find out his history and you will believe me.

Of Security and establishment of state police

The situation we find ourselves, I think there is no better time for state police because the security at the moment involves a lot of intelligence information.

It involves people you are familiar with the society, with the traditions, with the culture, they are in a better position to assist in terms of surveillance, in terms of  collecting information, in terms of being effective. So, I feel state police is something that should be considered.