You invited protesters, pay compensation for destructions, APC’s Kwankwaso tells Kano gov

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A chieftain of All Progressives Congress (APC) in Kano, Alhaji ( Dr.) Ilyasu Musa Kwankwaso, has blamed the state Governor Abba Yusuf for the destruction, vandalization and loss of lives and property in Kano during the recent hunger protest.

He alleged that it was the state governor who called on the public to come out and protest and even said he would wait for them at the government house to receive their complaints and promised to forward them to the presidency for action.

Making this known on Sunday in Kano, Kwankwaso, while addressing the press on the protest as well as the achievements of President Bola Tinubu in the last one year, stated that Mr President has done enough in an effort to reposition the country

According to him, “the hungry and angry people engaged in mayhem and wanton destruction of lives and property for which the governor should take responsibility.

“In Kano, it was the governor who called the hungry and angry people to come out to protest. Now that people have been killed and property vandalized, he should take responsibility and pay the compensation,” he said

He therefore disclosed that ” Let the victims seek the services of competent lawyers, go to court and seek for compensation from the state. Because it was the governor who asked you to come out to protest even as his boss Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso has called on the people not to protest. He must pay for the compensation.

He, however, added, “As for what the presidential candidate of the New Nigerien People Party (NNPP) in the 2023 election, Dr Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso did, I commend him, it is true that we should prepare our votes against the 2027 election instead of engaging in protest.

“We are drawing the attention of Mr President to instruct the Kano state governor to pay the compensation for the damages, looting and loss of lives suffered by the people of Kano” he stated.

He further blamed the state governors for the hardship being faced by the citizens saying that President Tinubu had shared about N570 billion to all the states and is confident that Kano state had gotten not less than N50 billion.

“With this availability of funds given to the governors, Nigerians should not be crying of hunger if properly utilized in human development projects.

“As I have stated, even the flyovers they are constructing is not part of the special allocation they received, it is the local government money, up to N15 billion. How can you take money from my local government and come and build bridges in the city? Is wrong.”

On the hunger facing the country, he said, “What I am saying here is that the problem is not with Mr President, is the governors. I am not isolating my own governor alone but all the governors. There are governors that are doing very well, you cannot generalize, but the problem is with the governors.

Kwankwaso who was a former Commissioner for rural and community development said that

“You did not hear any of the 36 governors complaining over the removal of fuel subsidy because they are beneficiaries of the money. But they have not explained this to the grassroots. So let us be realistic.

“Let we the masses understand that the president and his vice, Kashim Shetima mean well for the people of the country.

“You should desist from the destruction of property meant for your benefit. Especially the ICT hub of the NCC that was about to be commissioned when it was vandalized. If it had been allowed to be put to use, more than 11,000 persons would benefit from it from Kano.

“This is very shameful, it is a shame on us to have vandalized and destroyed that multimillion naira project,” he stated.

He mentioned some of the projects the northwest is benefitting from the administration including the resumption of the Abuja-Kaduna-Kano road, the Ajaokuta-Kaduna-Kano pipelines, the northwest development commission, the Zaria-Zamfara road among others.

He also said that President Bola Tinubu is there for the masses under his renewed hope agenda in which the Minister for Housing had since flagged off the construction of 1000 housing units each in Katsina, Kano, Yobe and some other southern parts.

However, in reaction to the allegation that Governor Yusuf should be blamed for his utterance that was alleged to have escalated the protest, Alhaji Muhammad Ahmed, a member of APC said it lacks any iota of belief.

He said it is the right of citizens to protest, hence the need for the Federal government to address the effect of subsidy removal caused by President Tinubu.

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