Free education: Kano Assembly approves Ganduje’s N15bn loan request

THE Kano State House of Assembly has approved a request by Governor Abdullahi Ganduje seeking to obtain a N15 billion loan facility from Guaranty Trust Bank (GTBank) in order to fund the free and compulsory education policy in the state.

The approval was given just two days after Ganduje sent the request to the House for its approval.

Recall that last Tuesday, the Speaker read a letter signed by the governor seeking lawmakers’ permission to allow the local governments to access the loan from one of the GTBank.

The assembly approved the request during plenary presided over by the Speaker, Abdulazeez Garba-Gafasa, on Wednesday.

The legislators approved the request after the chairman, house committee on local government, Kabiru Hassan-Dashi, presented the committee’s report.

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Hassan-Dashi who is also the deputy majority leader of the house disclosed that the funds, “would be used to construct more classes and rehabilitate others to reduce congestion.”

Hassan-Dashi explained that the loan facility will also support the provision of free uniforms for pupils while sustaining the government’s free school feeding programme.

It would be recalled that the governor in his letter to the Assembly on Monday, said each of the 44 local governments will receive N340 million aimed at ensuring the sustainability of the free and compulsory education across the state if the loan is approved.

Ganduje also disclosed that the loan would be paid after 30 months with only 15 per cent interest.

He added that funds to be used to service the loan will be deducted from the local governments’ monthly federal allocations.