Senator Suleiman Abdurrahman (Kawu Sumaila), currently representing Kano South Senatorial District, has been commended for prioritising education for underprivileged people in his constituency.
The commendation was made by the Kano South Youths Front in collaboration with the Association for Promoting Democracy and Good Governance, in a statement made available to journalists on Friday.
According to the group, “Senator Kawu Sumaila has deemed it necessary for him, as a well-groomed politician and a well-bred public servant, to appropriately use the electoral mandate given to him by the masses/electorates to touch the lives of the underprivileged ones in the Kano South Senatorial District.”
The group emphasised that he is changing the narrative through education in his bid to empower the youths of Kano South towards a better and purpose-driven society.
It stated: “It is only when you educate the people that you will have among them those who can think for the entire society and those who will assume positions of public trust to manage the affairs of the society.”
The group added: “Hence, there is no way you can produce qualified teachers, medical doctors, engineers, legal practitioners, agriculturists, historians, architects and all that without giving every child the education he or she is entitled to as a citizen.”
According to the group, “To prove his unbridled commitment towards educating the youths, Senator Kawu Sumaila, within these two years, has constructed six classroom blocks in Baure Nomadic Primary School in Garko Local Government, three blocks of two classrooms each at Dagumawa Islamiyya Primary School in Wudil Local Government, and a brand new Tsangaya School in Dagumawa in Wudil Local Government.”
He also constructed two blocks of two classrooms each at Kafin Maiyaki Primary School in Kiru Local Government, two-classroom blocks in Hayin Gwarmai of Bebeji Local Government, a brand new Tsangaya School in Rano, two classroom blocks at Islamiyya Primary School in Kula village of Gediya Ward in Sumaila Local Government, and two blocks in Bunkure Local Government.
He further facilitated the establishment of the Nigerian Army Secondary School in Sumaila, and the construction of a new Tsangaya School in Doguwa Local Government, to address the shortage of classrooms in public schools—one of the major causes of overcrowding.
The group stressed: “We need to have an enabling environment for effective teaching and learning to take place without hindrance, particularly in Kano South Senatorial District, being the largest senatorial district in the country.”
According to the group, “In terms of providing scholarship grants to his constituents, within this two-year span, Senator Kawu Sumaila has done a lot out of his deep conviction that the best legacy any public-spirited politician can leave behind is providing education to the younger ones, particularly the sons and daughters of the underprivileged in society.”
It revealed that Senator Kawu Sumaila is currently sponsoring no fewer than 140 students—cherry-picked from the sixteen Local Government Areas that make up Kano South Senatorial District—who are studying various health-related courses in private colleges of health across the country, to the tune of ₦55,000,000 at the end of every academic year.
He is also sponsoring about 180 NCE holders in various science-related fields to further their studies at advanced levels of education, such as Aliko Dangote University of Science and Technology, Wudil (ADUST), which costs him ₦7 million annually; 50 students studying Hadith (i.e. the way of life and teachings of the Prophet of Islam, Muhammad S.A.W) at Aminu Kano College of Islamic and Legal Studies, Kano; 470 students pursuing first degrees in different fields of study at Al-Istiqama University, Sumaila; 30 students from Tudun-Wada Local Government undergoing degree programmes at Federal University, Dutsin-Ma; and another 30 students from Gaya Local Government pursuing MAs and BScs at the same university.
The Senator is also offering scholarships to a significant number of students currently undertaking undergraduate and postgraduate studies in different countries around the world.
In addition, he has provided 250 office furniture items to refurbish the offices of principals in selected secondary schools across Kano South Senatorial District, and has sponsored a bill for the establishment of a Federal College of Education (Special) in Karaye Local Government.
In addition to his previous interventions, Senator Suleiman Abdurrahman Kawu Sumaila has provided and distributed 3,500 three-seater benches and tables to public schools across the sixteen Local Government Areas in Kano South. He has also paid the sum of ₦2,500,000 on a monthly basis as upkeep allowance to students impartially selected from within the sixteen Local Governments—all from his personal purse.
In terms of renovation and donations, the education-friendly senator has also renovated the following institutions:
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Government College Tudun-Wada, at the cost of ₦1,500,000,000
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Government Unity College, Karaye, at the cost of ₦1,200,000,000
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Government Girls Secondary School, Garko, at the cost of ₦1,500,000,000
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Maitama Sule Science College, Gaya, at the cost of ₦2,500,000,000
Further interventions include the renovation of:
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Tsangayar Mallam Labaran in Tudun-Wada Local Government
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Tsangayar Almajirai in Rogo Local Government
He also donated:
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₦1.8 million to the leadership of Gaya Local Government Students’ Association for student accommodation
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₦1.4 million to Ajingi Local Government Students’ leadership for accommodation purposes
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₦14 million to the leadership of Sumaila Local Government
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₦200,000 to Garko Local Government for hostel repairs
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₦250,000 to the Kibiya Local Government Association to rent accommodation for their students
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₦350,000 to Kiru Local Government Students’ Association for student accommodation
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₦20,000,000 as a special intervention to support students from all sixteen Local Government Areas in Kano South Senatorial District with accommodation costs
According to the group: “If truly a parliamentarian’s primary duty is to represent the interests and concerns of their constituents—whether local, national, or international—which involves making decisions and influencing policy-making processes to improve the well-being of the people he serves, Senator Kawu Sumaila is really doing that which we elected him for!”
It concluded, “For these reasons and many more, Senator Suleiman Abdurrahman Kawu Sumaila deserves a pat on the back from the good people of Kano South Senatorial District, who are revelling in his proudest achievements.”
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