The Kano state governor, Abdullahi Ganduje, says he has written to the Presidency to postpone the scheduled inauguration of projects, including the Dala International Inland Dry Port, located at Zawachiki in Kumbotso local government area, by President Muhammadu Buhari.
Buhari was scheduled to be in Kano on Monday, January 31, 2023, to inaugurates executed by the state government.
However, at the decision to postpone Buhari’s visit was taken at an interactive session with legislators, scholars, political leaders, and the business community on Friday, “to avoid any unforeseen circumstance.”
During the meeting the stakeholders unanimously spoke in favour of the postponement, ASHENEWS gathered.
This online platform further gathered that Senators Kabiru Ibrahim Gaya, and Barau Jibrin; 20 members of House of Representatives, and 30 legislators from the State House of Assembly, were present at the meeting that supported the governor.
Reason for postponement
According to a statement by the Chief Press Secretary, Abba Anwar on Saturday, Ganduje said the postponement was because of “the hardship caused by the limited time given for halting the use of old Naira notes by the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), and for security reasons.”
“As we are waiting for this important visit, we found ourselves in this situation, which puts citizens into untold hardship. For security purposes, we wrote to Presidency that President Muhammadu Buhari’s visit to Kano is postponed.
“We got an acknowledgment copy of the letter. People are really suffering because of this policy,” the governor said.
“There are no banks in most of our rural communities. How these people get new Naira notes is of great concern. Just look at what is happening in our urban areas, people go and spend hours upon hours in banks. And without any assurances of getting the new notes,” Ganduje lamented.
“Even at Point of Sales (POS),” according to the governor, “one cannot transact with ease. Many of them closed shops due to uncertainty,” Ganduje said.
He emphasized that Kano being a commercial hub must be loudly heard.
“This problem affects all of us. Therefore our voice must be heard in all nooks and crannies. We are a commercial hub. As such our position must be loud and clear,” he said.
Ganduje revealed that the Nigerian Governors Forum (NGF) sent a delegation to President Buhari on the hardship caused by the new development.
“Governors from all the political parties put heads together and sent delegates, but to no avail. So also traditional rulers followed the same path, but individually. But up to now, there is nothing in that respect,” Ganduje disclosed.
The governor added that in Kano, government had always called leaders of all sections of people together to discuss situations like this. the
“We invited scholars who were here yesterday. And today we are having this interactive session with the business community and our legislators,” he further said.
To revalidate the position of the Kano people, as contained in the letter sent to the Presidency, Ganduje said he would lead a delegation of people from sections of the populace to go and see President Buhari and hear from them verbatim.
