Lawmaker gets N40m business Funding for less privileged in Kano

A Nigerian lawmaker, Senator Ibrahim Shekarau says the sum of N40 million has been attracted by his office from the Small Medium Enterprises Development Agency of Nigeria, SMEDAN and other agencies to help improve businesses for the less privileged in his Kano Central Senatorial District.

He said 4,000 less privileged business owners whose capitals range between 2 to 3 thousand Naira were carefully selected and given N10,000 Naira each to enhance their businesses.

Senator Shekarau made the disclosure at a media briefing in Kano State.

“We want to make sure we encourage the downtrodden with 2 to 3 thousand Naira business capital, so we gave each of the beneficiaries10,000 Naira in the Kano Central Senatorial Zone,”  Senator Shekarau stated.

He said that ”the initiative was part of his human development and social Justice agenda.”

According to him, some of the projects attracted to the Kano Central Senatorial Zone through constituency projects under the Universal Basic Education Commission, UBEC, includes:18 class room blocks fitted with offices and furniture distributed among the 15 LGAs constituting zone.

Others are:1,300 meters Road Network within the Aminu Kano Teaching Hospital, AKTH, Kano, through the Federal Ministry of Health for easy accessibility as well as 60 picies of Solar light and panel installed in carefully selected areas across the 15 LGAs.

Senator Shekarau said that ”the projects were based on the belief and priority that “once you give anybody social and quality education as well as sound health, you have given him or her the foundation and best in life.”

He stated that the projects were supervised and monitored by a six Shura member implementation committee, which ensures that the projects conform with specifications in the bill of quantity.

Senator Shekarau explained that ”up coming projects included in the 2020/21 budgets are: a 20 bed capacity cottage hospital to be built in Geizawa LGA, reasonable number of boreholes to be dug across the Senatorial Zone and expansion of the Pharmaceutical unit at the AKTH  to cater for patients and others with genuine drug prescriptions from outside the hospital among others.”

He, however said ”the down turn in the economy leading to paucity of fund is inhibiting quick execution of projects.”

On political relationships, Senator Shekarau said he still has cordial relationship with the former Governor of Kano State, Rabiu Kwankwaso despite differences in political ideology and outburst sometimes.

He also said his intimacy between him and the incumbent Governor of Kano State, Dr. Umar Ganduje was still intact despite the Senatorial duty that took him to the National Assembly in far away Abuja, which has reduced being constantly seen together in the public.

Senator Shekarau added that there are a lot of private visits and communications between them not known to the public.

Mercy Chukwudiebere