Kano Gov Decries Deputy’s Remarks on Security

The Kano State Governor Abdullahi Umar Ganduje Wednesday expressed shock over what he described as the unguarded remarks by the state deputy governor, Prof. Hafiz Abubakar, who alleged that his life and that of his immediate family members were threatened.

Ganduje, in a statement signed by the state’s Commissioner for Information, Youth and Culture, Malam Muhammad Garba, Wednesday, said that the fault-finding comments made by Prof. Abubakar are not only unwarranted but also unfair to the state government.

According to him, the government holds the office of the deputy governor in high esteem, but however, sees him as too insignificant for government to commit state resources to orchestrate plan just to remove him from office, talk less of any attempt on his life.

“Rather than making such vituperative remarks, the embattled deputy governor is advised to make a choice of quitting or remaining in the government,” he said.

Furthermore, to prove that the allegations made by the deputy governor were false, he was at Tuesday’s state Executive Council Meeting, and he came with fewer security aides.

“At the meeting, when His Excellency had to excuse himself to embark on a trip, he directed the deputy governor to preside over as usual, and that all the resolutions reached at the meeting are binding, something that would not have been accorded him by his political godfather, Senator Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso,’’ the statement.

Garba pointed out that despite several unguarded comments by the deputy governor, the government continues to accord respect and support for his office both morally and otherwise.

The statement also debunks the allegation that he has not been provided with statutory official residence, pointing out that it was his choice to remain in the private residence as he personally brought the contractor that is handling the construction of his official residence.

Meanwhile, Abubakar had on Monday, petitioned the police and the State Security Service (SSS), over what he described as threat to his life, as well as plans to remove him.

In the petition, addressed to the Kano State Police Commissioner Rabiu Yusuf, copied to the Assistant Inspector-General in Charge of Zone One and the State Director of SSS, the deputy governor prayed for the deployment of a lot more security operatives around him.