Yusuf pledges Kano transformation, urges release of Gandjue

Gov. Abba Kabir Yusuf of Kano State says he is focused on taking the state  to greater heights than be engaged former governor of the state, Alhaji Abdullahi Ganduje in war of attrition.

Yususf through his Director-General Media and Publicity, Malam Sunusi Bature, told News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Kano on Monday that he not bothered by criticisms by Ganduje.

Yususf was reacting to allegations by Ganduje, now National Chairman of All Progressives Congress (APC), of using diversionary tactics to cover up his failure to deliver dividends of democracy in the state.

In a statement by his Chief Press Secretary, Mr Edwin Olofu, Ganduje, alleged that it was unfortunate that Yusuf failed to meet public expectations in spite of increase in fiscal allocations to the state.

“Our eight months in office has remarkably outweighed Ganduje’s eight wasted years of political caricature and mal-administration by all standards,” Yusuf said.

Yusuf said his administration was inclined to prioritising attention to socio-economic and physical infrastructure developments for the overall well-being of the people of the state.

He urged the appropriate authorities such as Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to ensure that those who embezzled the state’s monies, including Ganduje were brought to book through legal means.

Yusuf said it was unfortunate that Ganduje would accuse him of diverting funds meant for the state when he was still under investigation by EFCC for looting public funds.

He also told NAN that his government would continue to probe Ganduje’s eight-year tenure until it was satisfied that his hands were clean or he would use legal means to recover public funds in his possession.

“We wish to reaffirm the present administration’s resolve and readiness to make anyone found guilty of corruption to face the full wrath of the law for their intentional wrong doings,” he told NAN.

Yusuf, therefore, said urged EFCC to complete the investigation into the allegation of stuffing of wads of dollars belonging to the state into his pocket by Ganduje and release of the report of the investigation.

He said his administration was preoccupied with how to offset public debt of over N300 billion it inherited from Ganduje’s administration.

Yusuf said he was taking a bold step of paying the backlog of pension gratuity for the state pensioners who were not paid by Ganduje’s administration in addition to other development projects it was undertaking.  (NAN)

By Aminu Garko