JUST IN: Kano sacks 3,234 ‘illegal workers’
By Muhammad Ali
The Kano State government has dismissed a total of 3,234 workers for allegedly not being qualified to be employed.
The Secretary to the State Government (SSG), Abdullahi Baffa Bichi revealed this during a news briefing on Friday.
Mr Bichi said the decision to fire the workers follows the implementation of the recommendations given by a committee on screening and verification of workers that were employed by the previous administration of Governor Abdullahi Ganduje.
The verification committee report was received by the Government and its salient observations and recommendations were noted and accepted.
The majority of the employment was not captured in the 2023 Approved Budget and a significant percentage of those employed had neither applied nor indicated interest to serve which form a major aspect of employment requirement,” The SSG said.
He added: “Most of those employed did not undergo processes of screening and recruitment interviews as expected by the service regulations; employed were found to have suspicious or forged certificates, while many non-indigenes were employed in spite of a large number of qualified unemployed indigenes roaming.
“The employment did not take into consideration the actual manpower needs of the respective MDAs but was influenced by the desire to tie down the new Administration financially; our streets and those employed were wrongly placed through deployment to non-career posts or the calling of their respective qualifications.”
Mr Bichi further explained the committee had to split into three panels because they realized that 12,566 workers were employed by the last government instead of 10,800 workers.
But the SSG said based on recommendation by the Technical Committee, a total of 9,332 workers have been reinstated into the civil service and have been dispatched across 51 ministries, departments and agencies.
“Those found with offers of appointments but not on the payroll should be subjected to further interviews by relevant recruitment centres in the Service; Proper placement and posting, deployment of eligible staff to relevant MDAs for optimal utilization should be undertaken while in case of those employed into the lower cadre without any regard to their qualifications they should be properly placed depending on need and availability of vacancy,” Mr Bichi explained.
Kano State Government says it is targeting the distribution of more than 3.5 million meals under its 2026 Ramadan feeding programme across the state.
The Commissioner for Religious Affairs and Chairman of the Ramadan Feeding Programme, Alhaji Ahmed Tijani, said this while inspecting designated cooking centres responsible for preparing and packaging meals for beneficiaries.
Tijani said the inspection was aimed at assessing hygiene conditions, quality of ingredients and the general cooking process at the centres.
According to him, the team focused on cooking facilities and packaging processes rather than distribution points.
“We visited some of the major contractors responsible for preparing large quantities of meals daily for the programme.
“One of the companies we inspected feeds about 25,000 people daily, while others also prepare between 13,000 and 25,000 meals each day,” he said.
He explained that the programme targets the preparation of about 115,000 meal packages daily throughout the 29 days of Ramadan.
The commissioner said the meals would be distributed across the eight metropolitan Local Government Areas of the state.
Tijani commended the contractors for maintaining good hygiene standards at the cooking centres.
“We inspected the kitchens, the environment and the packaging process to ensure that the food meets the required hygiene standards.
“We are satisfied with what we saw. The level of cleanliness and the quality of the food being prepared are commendable,” he said.
He added that government officials had intensified monitoring to ensure quality control throughout the programme.
According to him, the supervision has helped address earlier concerns about food quality recorded at the beginning of the exercise.
“For the past two weeks, we have been visiting different centres to monitor both the quantity and quality of meals being prepared,” he said.
Tijani also said the government had resolved cases where some individuals attempted to divert food meant for designated distribution centres.
He noted that the situation had been addressed in collaboration with local authorities, adding that such cases had reduced significantly.
The commissioner said the cooking centres were also complying with the dietary standards approved by the state government.
“We checked the ingredients being used, including cooking oil, seasoning and meat, and they meet the required standards,” he said.
Tijani described the 2026 Ramadan feeding programme as one of the most organised in the state, noting that the government would continue to monitor the exercise to ensure its success.
A political support group, Tinubu/Dikko Assured (TDA 2027) has on Wednesday donated ₦11 million in cash and 95 bags of rice to party executives of the All Progressives Congress in Katsina.
The distribution, which took place in Katsina, was aimed at supporting party leaders and stakeholders during the holy month of Ramadan.
The Director-General and founder of the group, Umar Ahmad-Zayyad, said the distribution exercise would be supervised by members of the TDA State Steering Committee.
Represented by the TDA State Coordinator, Khalil Aminu, the D-G said the gesture was part of the group’s continued commitment to strengthening the party structure from the grassroots while supporting loyal party executives.
He further assured that the structure of the party in Katsina Local Government and the state in general, remains intact, adding that it had mobilised ahead of future political engagements.
Ahmad-Zayyad described the outreach as part of a sustained effort to consolidate party unity and reinforce grassroots mobilisation in line with the objectives of the Tinubu/Dikko 2027 Project.
He described Ramadan as a period of sacrifice, compassion and generosity, adding that the initiative was designed to cushion the economic burden on party officials and their families during the fasting period.
According to the breakdown provided at the ceremony, five bags of rice and ₦500,000 were distributed across each of the 12 Wards in Katsina Local Government Area.
In addition, 15 bags of rice and ₦2 million were presented to the Katsina Local Government Executives to support their activities and welfare.
Similarly, 20 bags of rice alongside ₦3 million were handed over to the State Party Executives as part of the broader intervention package.
Party leaders who received the items expressed appreciation to Ahmad-Zayyad for what they described as a timely and thoughtful intervention.
Other beneficiaries who spoke at the occasion pledged their continued loyalty and support to the party’s leadership at both the state and national levels.
NAN
Gov. Dikko Radda of Katsina has unveiled a ₦10.3 million Ramadan support initiative under the Maituraka Foundation for APC members and community leaders in Katsina Local Government.
The cash disbursement, launched on Tuesday in Katsina, aims to cushion the effects of economic hardship on beneficiaries during the fasting period.
Radda described the intervention as humanitarian, reflecting “the spirit of Ramadan, a period of compassion, sacrifice and generosity”.
He stressed that governance must remain people-centred, adding that supporting citizens is a priority of his administration.
The governor said strategic partnerships with well-meaning individuals and groups would continue to complement government efforts at poverty alleviation.
He commended APC members for their maturity and unity during the recently concluded party congresses.
According to him, the outcome has strengthened the party’s internal cohesion and grassroots structures across the state.
“After the APC congresses, our party has emerged stronger and more united than ever before.
“This unity will translate into better service delivery and political stability,” he said.
The programme’s initiator, Abdulaziz Maituraka, said the ₦10.3 million intervention was conceived as a Ramadan gesture to support beneficiaries.
Maituraka stated that those selected had remained steadfast in advancing the party’s ideals at the grassroots.
He described Ramadan as a season of giving and reflection, urging beneficiaries to use the support to ease domestic burdens.
Maituraka also called on party faithful to sustain their loyalty and mobilise support for Radda ahead of future political engagements.
He specifically urged continued backing for Radda and President Bola Tinubu in the 2027 general elections.
“Though this is an annual gesture, this year’s edition is unique because I expanded it to cover the entire local government.
“My first consideration is the APC, where I belong,” Maituraka said.
Beneficiaries expressed gratitude, describing the intervention as timely and impactful amid rising living costs.
NAN
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